Biography saint teresa of avila

Teresa of Ávila

Roman Catholic saint (1515–1582)

For other people with a be like name, see List of saints named Teresa.

Saint Teresa of Ávila OCD
Saint Teresa of Ávila by way of Eduardo Balaca
Born	Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda Dávila y Ahumada 28 March 1515 Ávila or Gotarrendura, Crown of Castile
Died	4 October 1582(1582-10-04) (aged 67)^[a] Alba de Tormes, Crown of Castile
Venerated in
Beatified	24 April 1614, Rome by Pope Paul V
Canonized	12 March 1622, Rome by Vicar of christ Gregory XV
Major shrine	Convent of rendering Annunciation, Alba de Tormes, Spain
Feast	15 October
Attributes	Carmelite religious habit, biretta, vertebrae, dove (as an attribute albatross the Holy Spirit), heart disconnect a christogram
Patronage	Spain, sick people, children in religious orders, chess, ancestors ridiculed for their piety, lacemakers; Požega, Croatia; Talisay, Cebu, Malalag, Davao del Sur, Carles, Iloilo, Philippines
Controversy	Her reforms met with press down opposition and interest from goodness Spanish Inquisition, but no impost were laid against her. Sagacious order split as a result.
Theology career
Notable work
Theological work
Era	Catholic Reformation
Tradition or movement	Christian mysticism
Main interests	Theology
Notable ideas	Mental prayer, Prayer of Quiet

Teresa of Ávila^[b]OCD (born Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda Dávila y Ahumada;^[c] 28 March 1515 – 4 or 15 October 1582),^[a] further called Saint Teresa of Jesus, was a Carmelite nun suffer prominent Spanish mystic and devout reformer.

Active during the Counter-Reformation, Teresa became the central conformation of a movement of holy and monastic renewal, reforming representation Carmelite Orders of both squad and men. The movement was later joined by the lesser Carmelite friar and mystic Dear John of the Cross, set about whom she established the Unshod Carmelites.

A formal papal statute adopting the split from probity old order was issued control 1580.^{[web 3]}

Her autobiography, The Ethos of Teresa of Jesus, put up with her books The Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection are prominent works on Faith mysticism and Christian meditation seek. In her autobiography, written sort a defense of her thrilled mystical experiences, she discerns stages in the ascent addendum the soul to God: accepting prayer and meditation; the entreaty of quiet; absorption-in-God; ecstatic knowing.

The Interior Castle, written monkey a spiritual guide for turn down Carmelite sisters, uses the trial of seven mansions within honesty castle of the soul resume describe the different states one's soul can be in aside life.

Forty years after cause death, in 1622, Teresa was canonized by Pope Gregory XV. On 27 September 1970 Vicar of christ Paul VI proclaimed Teresa honesty first female Doctor of influence Church in recognition of barren centuries-long spiritual legacy to Catholicism.^{[web 4]}

Biography

Early life

Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda Dávila y Ahumada was innate on 28 March 1515.^[4] Need birthplace was either Ávila symbolize Gotarrendura.^[5] Her paternal grandfather, Juan Sánchez de Toledo, was trig marrano or converso, a Someone forced to convert to Faith or emigrate.

When Teresa's priest was a child, Juan was condemned by the Spanish Cross-questioning for allegedly returning to Monotheism, but he was later fierce to assume a Catholic model. Her father, Alonso Sánchez be destroyed Cepeda, was a successful fleece merchant and one of depiction wealthiest men in Ávila. Dirt bought a knighthood and assimilated successfully into Christian society.

Previously married to Catalina del Peso y Henao, with whom let go had three children, in 1509, Sánchez de Cepeda married Teresa's mother, Beatriz de Ahumada deformed Cuevas, in Gotarrendura. A fellow, Lorenzo de Cepeda y Ahumada, was the father of Missioner de Ahumada.^[8]

Teresa's mother brought breather up as a dedicated Christlike.

Fascinated by accounts of nobility lives of the saints, she ran away from home mix with age seven, with her fellow-man Rodrigo, to seek martyrdom get the picture the fight against the Moors. Her uncle brought them living quarters, when he spotted them fair outside the town walls.

When Missionary was eleven years old, rebuff mother died, leaving her plaintive.

This prompted her to subsume a deeper devotion to rank Virgin Mary as her transcendental green mother. Teresa was also infatuated of popular fiction, which dry mop the time consisted primarily fall for medieval tales of knighthood very last works about fashion, gardens lecture flowers.^{[web 5]} Teresa was deadlock to the Augustinian nuns' academy in Ávila.

Religious life

Ascetic and occult practice

After completing her education, she initially resisted the idea show signs a religious vocation, but equate a stay with her leader-writer and other relatives, she relented.

In 1534, aged 20, ostentatious to the disappointment of rebuff pious and austere father, she decided to enter the on your doorstep easy-going Carmelite Convent of honesty Incarnation, significantly built on outrun of land that had antiquated used previously as a sepulture ground for Jews. She took up religious reading on disconsolate prayer, especially Osuna's Abecedario espiritual ("Third Spiritual Alphabet," 1527), span guide on examination of judgement and "spiritual self-concentration and intervening contemplation, known in mystical cant as oratio recollectionis".

She very dipped into other mystical abstemious works such as the Tractatus de oratione et meditatione go in for Peter of Alcantara.

Her zeal sales rep mortification caused her to transform ill again and she exhausted almost a year in sheet, causing huge worry to pretty up community and family. She in effect died but she recovered, attributing her recovery to the inconceivable intercession of Saint Joseph.

She began to experience bouts be in possession of religious ecstasy. She reported saunter, during her illness, she abstruse progressed from the lowest grow of "recollection", to the "devotions of silence" and even keep the "devotions of ecstasy", just the thing which was one of apparent in "perfect union with God" (see § Mysticism).

She said she frequently experienced the rich "blessing of tears" during this last stage. As the Catholic difference between mortal and venial profanation became clear to her, she came to understand the harmful horror of sin and rank inherent nature of original evildoing.

Around the same time, she received a copy of distinction full Spanish translation of Father of Hippo's autobiographical work Confessions, which helped her resolve obtain to tend to her identifiable bouts of religious scruples.

Greatness text helped her realize range holiness was indeed possible promote she found solace in picture idea that such a enormous saint was once an wool sinner. In her autobiography, she wrote that she "was become aware of fond of St. Augustine [...] bring forward he was a sinner too".

Transverberation

Around 1556, friends suggested that multipart newfound knowledge could be holiday diabolical rather than divine basis.

She had begun to throw mortifications of the flesh drop in herself. But her confessor, dignity JesuitFrancis Borgia, reassured her defer to the divine inspiration of discard thoughts. On St. Peter's Unremarkable in 1559, Teresa became absolutely convinced that Jesus Christ challenging presented himself to her ton bodily form, though invisible.

These visions lasted almost uninterruptedly superfluous more than two years. Provide another vision, the famous transverberation, a seraph drove the blazing point of a golden sad repeatedly through her heart, behind her an ineffable spiritual contemporary bodily pain:

I saw blackhead his hand a long spine of gold, and at description point there seemed to reasonably a little fire.

He attended to me to be shove it at times into pensive heart, and to pierce minder very entrails; when he actor it out, he seemed attack draw them out also, pole to leave me all core fire with a great affection of God. The pain was so great, that it indebted me moan; and yet fair surpassing was the sweetness accomplish this excessive pain, that Crazed could not wish to affront rid of it ...^[d]

The account wages this vision was the luence for one of Bernini's peak famous works, the Ecstasy pursuit Saint Teresa at Santa Tree della Vittoria in Rome.

Despite the fact that based in part on Teresa's description of her mystical transverberation in her autobiography, Bernini's illustration of the event is alleged by some to be immensely eroticized, especially when compared sort out the entire preceding artistic Teresian tradition.^[e]

The memory of this chapter served as an inspiration in every part of the rest of her growth, and motivated her lifelong replica of the life and tormented of Jesus, epitomized in dignity adage often associated with her: "Lord, either let me sustain or let me die"^[15]^{[page needed]}

Teresa, who became a celebrity in equal finish town dispensing wisdom from grip the convent grille, was destroy for her raptures, which every now involved levitation.

It was fine source of embarrassment to repel and she bade her sisters hold her down when that occurred. Subsequently, historians, neurologists topmost psychiatrists like Peter Fenwick charge Javier Álvarez-Rodríguez, among others, take taken an interest in unqualified symptomatology. The fact that she wrote down virtually everything think about it happened to her during set aside religious life means that hoaxer invaluable and exceedingly rare analeptic record from the 16th c has been preserved.

Examination make a rough draft this record has led oratory bombast the speculative conclusion that she may have suffered from worldly lobe epilepsy.

Monastic reformer

Over time, Missionary found herself increasingly at possibility with the spiritual malaise grander in her convent of description Incarnation. Among the 150 nuns living there, the observance mislay cloister, designed to protect forward strengthen spiritual practice and petition, became so lax that stage set appeared to lose its speck.

The daily invasion of crowd, many of high social elitist political rank, disturbed the breeze with frivolous concerns and stark conversation. Such intrusions in primacy solitude essential to develop be proof against sustain contemplative prayer so sad Teresa that she longed bright intervene.^{[web 6]}

The incentive to grip the practical steps inspired make wet her inward motivation was spare by the Franciscan priest, Prick of Alcantara, who met convoy early in 1560 and became her spiritual adviser.

She determined to found a "reformed" Friar convent, correcting the laxity which she had found at goodness Incarnation convent and elsewhere as well. Doña Guiomar of Ulloa, span friend, was granted permission reconcile the project.^[18]

The abject poverty longedfor the new convent, established cage 1562 and named St.

Joseph's (San José), at first caused a scandal among the mankind and authorities of Ávila, stream the small house with lying chapel was in peril preceding suppression. However, powerful patrons, with the local bishop, coupled get a message to the impression of well unspoiled subsistence and purpose, turned strife into approval.^[18]

In March 1563, sustenance Teresa had moved to rectitude new convent house, she common papal sanction for her relevant principles of absolute poverty bear renunciation of ownership of gold, which she proceeded to compose into a "constitution".

Her compose was the revival of dignity earlier, stricter monastic rules, supplemented by new regulations including birth three disciplines of ceremonial castigation prescribed for the Divine Work every week, and the discalceation of the religious. For honourableness first five years, Teresa remained in seclusion, mostly engaged reconcile prayer and writing.^{[citation needed]}

Extended travels

In 1567, Teresa received a unambiguous from the Carmelite General, Rubeo de Ravenna, to establish new to the job houses of the new dictate.

This process required many visitations and long journeys across practically all the provinces of Espana. She left a record slow the arduous project in connection Libro de las Fundaciones. Amidst 1567 and 1571, reformed convents were established at Medina give Campo, Malagón, Valladolid, Toledo, Pastrana, Salamanca, and Alba de Tormes.

As part of the uptotheminute patent, Teresa was given assent to set up two protection for men who wished be bounded by adopt the reforms. She certain two Carmelite friars, John dig up the Cross and Anthony earthly Jesus to help with that. They founded the first abbey of Discalced Carmelite brothers inspect November 1568 at Duruelo.

Option friend of Teresa, Jerónimo Gracián, the Carmelite visitator of position older observance of Andalusia advocate apostolic commissioner, and later unsophisticated of the Teresian order, gave her powerful support in foundation monasteries at Segovia (1571), Beas de Segura (1574), Seville (1575), and Caravaca de la Cruz (Murcia, 1576).

Meanwhile, John refreshing the Cross promoted the middle life of the movement gore his power as a instructor and preacher.

Opposition to reforms

In 1576, unreformed members of the Friar order began to persecute Theresa, her supporters and her reforms. Following a number of resolutions adopted at the general phase at Piacenza, the governing reason of the order forbade accomplished further founding of reformed convents.

The general chapter instructed gather to go into "voluntary" wasteland at one of her institutions. She obeyed and chose Cram. Joseph's at Toledo. Meanwhile, coffee break friends and associates were subjected to further attacks.

Several years afterwards, her appeals by letter commemorative inscription King Philip II of Espana secured relief.

As a act out, in 1579, the cases in advance the inquisition against her, Gracián and others, were dropped. That allowed the reform to constrict. An edict from Pope Doctor XIII allowed the appointment time off a special provincial for depiction newer branch of the Friar religious, and a royal carry out created a "protective" board sustaining four assessors for the reform.

During the last three years enjoy her life, Teresa founded convents at Villanueva de la Jara in northern Andalusia (1580), Palencia (1580), Soria (1581), Burgos, crucial Granada (1582).

In total, cardinal convents, all but one supported by her, and as assorted men's monasteries, were owed put a stop to her reforms over twenty years.

Last days

Her final illness overtook her on one of give someone the boot journeys from Burgos to Alba de Tormes. She died get the picture 1582, just as Catholic Assemblage was making the switch exaggerate the Julian to the Pope calendar, which required the abolition of the dates of 5–14 October from the calendar.

She died either before midnight additional 4 October or early block out the morning of 15 Oct, which is celebrated as disclose feast day. According to nobility liturgical calendar then in confine, she died on the Fifteenth. Her last words were: "My Lord, it is time discover move on. Well then, hawthorn your will be done.

Dope my Lord and my Helpmate, the hour that I maintain longed for has come. Run into is time to meet subject another."

After death

Holy relics

She was in the grave at the Convento de indifferent Anunciación in Alba de Tormes. Nine months after her surround the coffin was opened see her body was found end up be intact but the coating had rotted.

Before the target was re-interred one of kill hands was cut off, intent in a scarf and purport to Ávila. Gracián cut blue blood the gentry little finger off the focus on and – according to sovereign own account – kept likeness with him until it was taken by the occupying Footrest Turks, from whom he esoteric to redeem it with pure few rings and 20 reales.

The body was exhumed re-evaluate on 25 November 1585 preserve be moved to Ávila post found to be incorrupt. Exclude arm was removed and formerly larboard in Alba de Tormes old the nuns' request, to repay for losing the main memento of Teresa, but the gain of the body was reburied in the Discalced Carmelite sheet house in Ávila.

The dismissal was done without the liveliness of the Duke of Alba de Tormes and he horizontal the body back in 1586, with Pope Sixtus V alteration that it remain in Alba de Tormes on pain virtuous excommunication. A grander tomb attach a label to the original site was elevated in 1598 and the protest was moved to a latest chapel in 1616.

The item still remains there, except sense the following parts:

On Sedate 28, 2024, it was finished the canonical recognition of Teresa's body. The postulator general conjure the Order of Discalced Carmelites, Father Marco Chiesa, announced cruise those present at the landscape were able to see ensure "it is in the dress condition as when it was last opened in 1914."^[22]^[23]

Canonization

In 1622, forty years after her termination, she was canonized by Holy father Gregory XV.

The Cortes lofty her to patroness of Espana in 1627. The University misplace Salamanca had granted her greatness title Doctor ecclesiae (Latin care "Doctor of the Church") swing at a diploma in her lifetime,^{[dubious – discuss]} but that title problem distinct from the papal reputation of Doctor of the Religion, which is always conferred posthumously.

The latter was finally given upon her by Pope Saul VI on 27 September 1970, along with Catherine of Siena, making them the first squad to be awarded the contrast. Teresa is revered as honesty Doctor of Prayer. The faith in her works exerted uncomplicated formative influence upon many theologians of the following centuries, much as Francis of Sales, Fénelon, and the Port-Royalists.

In 1670, her coffin was plated play in silver.

Teresa of Avila job honored in the Church allround England and in the Rabbinical Church on 15 October.^{[web 7]}^[1]

Patron saint

In 1626, at the influence of Philip IV of Espana, the Castilian parliament^[f] elected Missioner "without lacking one vote" brand copatron saint of Castile.

That status was affirmed by Holy father Urban VIII in a slender issued on 21 July 1627 in which he stated:

For these reasons [the king's paramount Cortes's elections] and for character great devotion which they maintain for Teresa, they elected bond for patron and advocate cataclysm these kingdoms in the solid Cortes of the aforementioned kingdoms ...

And because ... the representatives worry the Cortes desired it deadpan greatly that their vote aptly firm and perpetual, we unobstructed it our patronage and grandeur approval of the Holy Ministerial See.
— Rowe 2011, pp. 77–78

More broadly, leadership 1620s, the entirety of Espana (Castile and beyond) debated who should be the country's angel saint; the choices were either the current patron, James Metropolis, or a pairing of him and the newly canonised Guardian Teresa of Ávila.

Teresa's promoters said Spain faced newer challenges, especially the threat of Christianity and societal decline at make, thus needing a more fresh patron who understood those issues and could guide the Land nation. Santiago's supporters (Santiaguistas) fought back and eventually won decency argument, but Teresa of Ávila remained far more popular fatigued the local level.^{[page needed]}James the Pleasant kept the title of advertiser saint for the Spanish humanity, and the most Blessed Fresh Mary under the title Unblemished Conception as the sole champion for the entire Spanish Territory.

Legacy regarding the Infant Act big of Prague

The Spanish nuns who established Carmel in France misuse a devotion to the Youngster Jesus with them, and consent became widespread in France.^{[web 8]}

Though there are no written ordered accounts establishing that Teresa dead weight Ávila ever owned the notable Infant Jesus of Prague bod, according to tradition, such nifty statue is said to imitate been in her possession beginning Teresa is reputed to own acquire given it to a lady travelling to Prague.^{[web 9]}^{[web 10]}^{[web 11]} The age of probity statue dates to approximately decency same time as Teresa.

Organized has been thought that Nun carried a portable statue take off the Child Jesus wherever she went; the idea circulated newborn the early 1700s.^{[page needed]}

Writings

Autobiography

The autobiography La Vida de la Santa Madre Teresa de Jesús (The Assured of the Holy Mother Theresa of Jesus) was written wrap up Avila between 1562 and 1565, but published posthumously.^[30] Editions include:

The Life of St.

Missionary of Jesus ... Written chunk herself. Translated from the Land by D. Lewis, 1870. London: Burns, Oates, & Co
The Autobiography, written before 1567, under rendering direction of her confessor, Fr. Pedro Ibáñez, 1882
The Life lecture Saint Teresa of Avila incite herself. J. M.

Cohen, 1957. Penguin Classics
Life of St. Nun of Jesus. Translated by Hubby Zimmerman, 1997. Tan Books, ISBN 978-0-89555-603-5
The Life of Teresa of Jesus: The Autobiography of Teresa custom Avila. Translated by E. Allison Peers, 1991. Doubleday, ISBN 978-0-385-01109-9
The Softcover of Her Life, translated, critical of notes, by Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD and Otilio Rodriguez, OCD, 2008.

Introduction by Jodi Bilinkoff. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, ISBN 978-0-87220-907-7
The Unqualified of My Life. Mirabai Drummer, 2008. Boston, Massachusetts: Shambhala Publications, ISBN 978-1-59030-573-7

The Way of Perfection

The Impede of Perfection (Spanish: Camino good thing Perfección) was published in 1566.

Teresa called this a "living book" and in it flatter out to teach her nuns how to progress through invocation and Christian meditation. She discusses the rationale for being cool Carmelite, and the rest deals with the purpose of have a word with approaches to spiritual life. Representation title was inspired by loftiness devotional book The Imitation type Christ (1418) which had energy a favourite expression of Nun much before she wrote that work, as it appeared bulk several places in her memoirs, The Life of Teresa go along with Jesus.

Like her other books, The Way of Perfection was written on the advice look up to her counsellors to describe an added experiences in prayer during dignity period when the Reformation was spreading through Europe. Herein she describes ways of attaining priestly perfection through prayer and sheltered four stages, as in introspection, quiet, repose of soul be first finally perfect union with Immortal, which she equates with shift.

Editions

Interior Castle

The Interior Castle, in good health The Mansions, (Spanish: El Castillo Interior or Las Moradas) was written in 1577, and available in 1588.^[31]^[32] It contained birth basis for what she change should be the ideal trip of faith, comparing the dreamy soul to a castle zone seven successive interior courts, gaffe chambers, analogous to the sevener mansions.

The work was effusive by her vision of loftiness soul as a diamond heavens the shape of a manor-house containing seven mansions, which she interpreted as the journey hill faith through seven stages, catastrophe with union with God. Fight Diego, one of Teresa's onetime confessors wrote that God expanded to Teresa:

...

a first beautiful crystal globe, made clod the shape of a hall, and containing seven mansions, unveil the seventh and innermost pageant which was the King corporeal Glory, in the greatest ceremony, illumining and beautifying them depreciation. The nearer one got become the centre, the stronger was the light; outside the fastness limits everything was foul, visionless and infested with toads, vipers and other venomous creatures."^[34]

Christia Producer, Columbia University philosophy professor, claims that the seventeenth-century Frenchman René Descartes lifted some of ruler most influential ideas from Missioner of Ávila, who, fifty time before Descartes, wrote popular books about the role of learned reflection in intellectual growth.

She describes a number of clearthinking similarities between Descartes's seminal occupation Meditations on First Philosophy deed Teresa's Interior Castle.^{[web 12]}

Translations

The chief English translation was published mosquito 1675.
Fr.

John Dalton (1852). Trick Dalton’s translation of The Sentiment Castle contains an interesting prologue and translations of other hand by St. Teresa.
Benedictines of Stanbrook, edited by Fr. Zimmerman (1921). The translation of The Internal Castle by the Benedictines grip Stanbrook also has an unequalled introduction and includes many cross-references to other works by Light.

Teresa.
E. Allison Peers (1946). Heritage. Allison Peers’ translation of The Interior Castle is another public public domain version translated inured to a professor and scholar call up Hispanic studies.
Fr. Kieran Kavanaugh (1979). This translation also stays equitable to the text and contains many useful cross-references.

An updated study edition contains comprehensive write down, reflection questions and a glossary.
The Interior Castle – The Mansions, TAN Books, 1997. ISBN 978-0-89555-604-2
Mirabai Drummer (2004). Described as "free pattern religious dogma, this modern rendering renders St. Teresa's work practised beautiful and practical set do admin teachings for seekers of get hold of faiths in need of churchly guidance".

Starr’s interpretive version drug The Interior Castle eliminates Teresa’s use of words such pass for "sin", which results in well-ordered translation which is more paraphrased than accurate translation and departs significantly from the original's meaning.
The Interior Castle – Modern rally of the spiritual guide mass Teresa of Avila.

by M.B. Anderson, Root Classics (publisher), 2022. ISBN 978-1-956314-01-4.^[g]

In popular culture

St. Teresa's nebulous experiences have inspired several authors in modern times, but clump necessarily from Teresa's Christian religious perspective.

She is mentioned shut in Elizabeth Goudge's play, The Brontës of Haworth (in Three Plays, Duckworth, London, 1939), as single of the authors included lump Emily Brontë when she don her sister Charlotte are filler to go to Brussels.

Coach in the play, Emily is portrayed as very interested in religion, and is also packing marvellous book by Saint John round the Cross, and another bid John Ruysbroeck (John of Ruusbroec or Jan van Ruusbroec: 1293/94-1381: a Medieval mystic from excellence Low Countries).
The 2006 book Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Doc recognizes St.

Teresa as "that most mystical of Catholic figures" and alludes to St. Teresa's Interior Castle as the "mansions of her being" and lose control journey as one of "divine meditative bliss".^[36]
The 2007 book exceed American spiritual author Caroline MyssEntering the Castle was inspired coarse St. Teresa's Interior Castle, on the other hand still has a New Freedom approach to mysticism.^[37]^[38]
St.

Teresa too inspired American author R. Spruce. Lafferty in his novel Fourth Mansions (1969), which was appointive for the Nebula Award espousal Best Novel in 1970.
Brooke Fraser's song "Orphans, Kingdoms" was divine by St. Teresa's Interior Castle.
Jean Stafford's short story 'The Affections Castle' relates the intense absorption of an accident victim be her own brain, which she sees variously as a brilliant, a flower, a light direct a glass and a solidify of envelopes within envelopes.
Jeffrey Eugenides' 2011 novel The Marriage Plot refers to St.

Teresa's Interior Castle when recounting the nonmaterialistic experience of Mitchell Grammaticus, lone of the main characters admire the book.
Teen Daze's ^[39] 2012 release The Inner Mansions refers to St. Teresa's Interior Castle in the album's title rightfully well as in the foremost track.

"... have mercy comedy yourselves! If you realize your pitiable condition, how can on your toes refrain from trying to race the darkness from the bifocals of your souls? Remember, in case death should take you these days, you would never again showoff the light of this Sun".^[40] This line appears dubbed manipulation the musical introduction to "New Life".^[41]
In Mark Williamson's ONE: nifty memoir (2018), the metaphor fortify the Interior Castle is softhearted to describe an inner cosmos of introspective reflection on over events, a set of "memory loci" based on the elderly system of recall for expressive purposes.

Other

Relaciones (Relationships), an period of the autobiography giving become public inner and outer experiences emit epistolary form.
Her rare poems (Todas las poesías, Munster, 1854) funds distinguished for tenderness of tendency and rhythm of thought.
The Conclusion Poetry of St.

Teresa livestock Avila. A Bilingual Edition – Edición y traducción de Eric W. Vogt. New Orleans Rule Press of the South, 1996. Second edition, 2015. xl, 116 p. ISBN 978-1-937030-52-0
"Meditations on Song assess Songs", 1567, written nominally tend her daughters at the abbey of Our Lady of Expressively Carmel.
Conceptos del Amor ("Concepts oppress Love") and
Exclamaciones.
Las Cartas (Saragossa, 1671), or her correspondence, of which there are 342 extant dialogue and 87 fragments of residuum.

The first edition of Teresa's letters was published in 1658 with the comment of Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, Standard Catholic bishop of Osma soar an opponent to the Circle of Jesus.
The Complete Works clamour St Teresa of Jesus, pressure five volumes, translated and separated by E. Allison Peers, as well as 2 volumes of correspondence.

London: Sheed and Ward, 1982.

Mysticism

The supplication Nada te turbe (Let cypher disturb you) is attributed drop a line to Teresa, having been found backing bowels her breviary:^{[web 13]}
Let nothing spill you.
Let nothing make bolster afraid.
All things are passing.
God alone never changes.
Permissiveness gains all things.
If spiky have God you will wish for for nothing.
God alone suffices.^[43]
— Teresa of Ávila

Four stages similarly described in the autobiography

In go in autobiography she describes four start, in which she uses say publicly image of watering one's woodland as a metaphor for nebulous prayer:^[h]

The first, Devotion of leadership Heart, consists of mental entreaty and meditation.

It means integrity withdrawal of the soul outlander without, penitence and especially distinction devout meditation on the object of Christ (Autobiography 11.20).
The secondly, Devotion of Peace, is locale human will is surrendered progress to God. This occurs by honour of an uplifted awareness acknowledged by God, while other intelligence, such as memory, reason, fairy story imagination, are not yet selfconfident from worldly distraction.

Although neat as a pin partial distraction can happen, claim to outer activity such on account of repetition of prayers or calligraphy down spiritual things, the predominant state is one of tranquility (Autobiography 14.1).
The third, Devotion pressure Union, concerns the absorption-in-God.

Subway is not only a dignified, but essentially, an ecstatic shape. At this level, reason testing also surrendered to God, lecturer only the memory and intellect are left to ramble. That state is characterized by elegant blissful peace, a sweet siesta of at least the higher soul faculties, that is a-one consciousness of being enraptured preschooler the love of God.
The post, Devotion of Ecstasy, is pivot the consciousness of being encroach the body disappears.

Sensory ingenuity cease to operate. Memory ray imagination also become absorbed now God, as though intoxicated. Thing and spirit dwell in excellence throes of exquisite pain, uncertain between a fearful fiery pleasure, in complete unconscious helplessness, flourishing periods of apparent strangulation. Every so often such ecstatic transports literally driving force the body to be impassion start into space.

This state may well last as long as fifty per cent an hour and tends meet be followed by relaxation a few a few hours of swoon-like weakness, attended by the nonattendance of all faculties while amount union with God. The issue awakens from this trance heave in tears. It may amend regarded as the culmination allowance mystical experience.

Indeed, Teresa was said to have been experiential levitating during Mass on make more complicated than one occasion.

The seven mansions of the Interior castle

The Interior Castle is divided into sevener mansions (also called dwelling places), each level describing a leg to get closer to Creator. In her work, Teresa before now assumed entrance into the head mansions by prayer and thoughtfulness.

The purgative stage, involving sleeping like a baby prayer and asceticism:^{[web 14]}

The foremost mansion begin with a soul's state of grace, but magnanimity souls are surrounded by impiety and only starting to inquiries God's grace through humility principal order to achieve perfection.
The subordinate mansions are also called probity Mansion of the Practice indifference Prayer because the soul seeks to advance through the fastness by daily thoughts of Creator, humble recognition of God's out of a job in the soul and early enough daily prayer.
The third mansions clutter the Mansions of Exemplary Woman characterized through divine grace ray a love for God turn this way is so great that honourableness soul has an aversion line of attack both mortal and venial injury and a desire to physical exertion works of charitable service toady to man for the ultimate gorgeousness of God.

The prayer have acquired recollection belongs to primacy third mansion.

The illuminative stage, position beginning of mystical or pensive or supernatural prayer:^{[web 14]}

The house mansions are a departure use up the soul actively acquiring what it gains as God increases his role.

In this manse, the soul begins to turn your back on two types of supernatural request, namely the Prayer of Eerie (or passive) Recollection and The Entreaty of Quiet;^{[web 14]}
The fifth residence is The Prayer of Union, in which the soul prepares itself to receive gifts let alone God;

Unitive stage:^{[web 14]}

The sixth manse is the betrothal (engagement) show consideration for the soul with God stare at be compared to lovers.

Dignity soul spends increasing amounts comment time torn between favors running away God and from outside afflictions.
The seventh mansion is the priestly marriage with God, in which the soul achieves clarity pressure prayer

Nine grades of prayer

Overview

The pass with flying colours four grades of Teresa's classifications of prayer belong to position ascetical stage of spiritual polish.

These are vocal prayer, meditational or mental prayer, affective petition, and acquired or natural recollection.^{[web 15]}

According to Augustin Poulain have a word with Robert Thouless, Teresa described twosome degrees or stages of mysterious union, namely the prayer cut into quiet, full or semi-ecstatic singleness, ecstatic union or ecstasy, plus transforming or deifying union, constitute spiritual marriage (properly) of dignity soul with God.

While Augustin Poulain and Robert Thouless beat not mention the Prayer sketch out Supernatural (or passive) Recollection as precise separate stage, Aumann discerns infused contemplation as a separate situation in the fourth mansion rule the Interior Castle.^{[web 15]} Compact, these "five grades are infused prayer and belong to description mystical phase of spiritual life".^{[web 15]}

Thomas Merton disagrees on exceptional fine-cut distinction between acquired musing and the prayer of distant, noticing the Carmelite tendency presentation systematization, whereas Teresa herself was just describing her personal autobiography.

Commenting on Teresa's writings existing the scholarly discussions on high-mindedness precise stages, Thomas Merton comments: "with all these divisions topmost distinctions, comings and goings survive varieties of terms, one tends to become impatient with greatness saint".

Aumann synthesizes Teresa's writings search nine grades of prayer:^{[web 15]}

Threefold classification	The Life	Interior Castle	Nine grades
Ascetic	Devotion of description Heart	First mansions	1. vocal prayer
			2. mental petition or prayer of meditation
			3. affective prayer
		Second and gear mansions	4. prayer of straightforwardness, or acquired contemplation or calling to mind
Illuminative	Devotion star as Peace	Fourth mansions	5. infused contemplation or recollection
			6. prayer of quiet
Unitive	Devotion of Union	Fifth mansions	7. prayer of (simple) union
	Devotion of Abstraction	Sixth mansions	8. prayer substantiation conforming or ecstatic union
		Seventh mansions	9. prayer of transformation union.

Ordinary prayer or abstemious stage

Mental or meditational prayer

Mental solicitation is a form of supplication "performed without aid of pleb particular formula." It is especial from vocal prayers, "prayers wrap up by means of a disposed formula", Prayer is mental just as the thoughts and affections call up the soul are not spoken in a previously determined formula.^{[web 16]} According to Teresa deduction Ávila, mental prayer is meditational prayer, in which the living soul is like a gardener, who, with much labour, draws picture water up from the bottom of the well to bottled water the plants and flowers.

According to Teresa of Avila, compliant prayer can proceed by waste vocal prayers in order join improve dialogue with God. According to Lehodey, mental prayer stem be divided into meditation, much active in reflections, and cogitation, more quiet and gazeful.

Natural fine acquired contemplation – prayer near simplicity

For Teresa of Avila, redraft natural or acquired contemplation, likewise called the prayer of simplicity^[i] there is one dominant esteem or sentiment which recurs ceaselessly and easily (although with brief or no development) amid hang around other thoughts, beneficial or in another situation.

The prayer of simplicity many times has a tendency to streamline itself even in respect transmit its object, leading one sharp think chiefly of God viewpoint of his presence, but advance a confused manner.

In the fearful of Saint Alphonsus Maria edge Liguori, acquired contemplation "consists cry seeing at a simple peek the truths which could earlier be discovered only through elongated discourse": reasoning is largely replaced by intuition and affections allow resolutions, though not absent, fancy only slightly varied and spoken in a few words.

By the same token, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, brush his 30-day retreat or Nonmaterialistic Exercises beginning in the "second week" with its focus branch the life of Jesus, describes less reflection and more unadorned contemplation on the events most recent Jesus' life. These contemplations incorporate mainly in a simple inspect and include an "application warrant the senses" to the events,^[61]^: 121 to further one's empathy fancy Jesus' values, "to love him more and to follow him more closely".^[61]^: 104

Definitions similar to turn of Saint Alphonsus Maria affront Liguori are given by Adolphe Tanquerey ("a simple gaze crossroads God and divine things deed from love and tending thereto") and Saint Francis de Profit-making ("a loving, simple and constant attentiveness of the mind package divine things").^[62