Letter (number unidentified). To Father Gracian in Castile, Toledo, about the month of September

The Saint's difficulties with her confessors. Our Lord gives her Doctor Velasquez as director. Her preference for Father Gradan.

JESUS Be with your paternity, my Father !

NOW I have a messenger I can trust, I want to tell you one thing, my Father. You already know that Angela took the Prior of Sisla' for her confessor for, believe me, there are many matters on which she cannot dispense with an adviser, nor would she succeed with them nor be at peace. She had frequent visits from the prior before, but since he heard her confessions, he rarely came. Neither the prioress nor I could understand the reason. One day, when the wretch of an Angela was speaking to Joseph, He said to her that it was He who kept the prior away as she would be better suited with Doélor Velasquez, a very learned theologian and a canon of Toledo who would be of some help to her. Joseph promised that He would make him hear and understand her, as she feared that the canon would be too busy. Joseph being a person of such importance, Angela had always followed His advice on such subjedls, but she did not know what to do in this case as she had already taken the prior for confessor and was much indebted to him. On the other hand, she feared to offend Joseph.

Angela thought over the matter for some days and was sorry she could not ask your Paternity's opinion. She dreaded being disturbed by her new confessor and by having so many directors. Then Father Salazar came and she determined to submit to his decision though she disliked the change and almost complained of Joseph for not having spoken of it before. She told Father Salazar what had happened; it was he who on a former visit had counselled her to go to the Prior of la Sisla. As your Paternity is aware, she can say whatever she likes to Father Salazar because he knows everything. He told her to do as Joseph said; she has done so and what the latter foretold is being accomplished to the letter. Firstly, when the prior came to the convent, the Mother asked him the reason of his behaviour. He answered that he could not account for it, that there was nothing he wished for more strongly, that he realized how deeply he would regret not having done so afterwards, yet that he had no control over himself in the matter and could do no otherwise, and had been much surprised at not being able to master himself.

As for the Doctor, he did not wait a day before answering that, in spite of all his occupations, he would come every week and was as delighted as though he had been made Archbishop of Toledo, (though I do not believe that dignity would have pleased him as much for he is so good.) Fray Hernando de Medina will tell you all about him; be sure to enquire. To show you how he takes the thing, I enclose the letter he wrote to me when I sent for him to consult him about some doubts: I will not tell you what they were as it would take a long time and they did not relate to prayer.

And now, my Father, Angela is very pleased, for she has confessed to him. She is all the more pleased because, since she has known Paul her soul had found peace and satisfaction from no one else. But now, although he is not what Paul is to her, yet she is peaceful and contented. Her soul feels impelled to obey him, which is the greatest comfort to her, for accustomed as she has been all her life to obedience, since Paul left her she never felt satisfied nor seemed to succeed, whatever she did, nor could she submit to any one else, strive as she might. Be sure, that He Who gave her the one, gave the other, for Angela was as astonished at the new state of her mind as was the prior when he found himself bound and powerless to do what he wished.

® A Dominican. Father Gracian.

I assure you that if you care at all about Angela's happiness, you may well be pleased about the matter, for it was enough that she should be unable to find such solace elsewhere as she has from Paul, without her being deprived of all comfort whatever. As Father Velasquez was not unaware of Joseph's love for her, having already heard much about it, he was not surprised, as being a learned theologian he finds authority for it in the Holy Scriptures. This is the greatest consolation for poor Angela whom God keeps apart from all she loves. May He be for ever praised !

In order not to offend the latter we must let him suppose that, on accountof his delay in coming, Angela sometimes makes her confession to the Doctor. Will your Paternity send me word that she is to obey her new confessor in every way as though you stood in his place, so that her soul may gain merit. I assure you that this woman has so powerful a desire and impulse to serve God in some way that, as she cannot now do great things for Him, she feels the more need to please Him better in what remains in her power.

Your Paternity's unworthy subjedt and daughter,

Teresa de Jesus.

® Diego de Yepes.

CIX

Prefatory note

Unless Father Gracian had been made Visitor in Andalusia, the Carmelites of Castile would probably not have opposed him. Things might have gone differently had he sought the support of the General. As it was, he came to Seville as a young religious of a professedly extreme obedience with doubtful authority (having been twice suhtlclcgatctl) without even openly showing the documents which gave him the right, and he appealed to the defence of the civil power. It is not surprising that the Mitigated resented it. Andalusia had always been a difficult province to govern and no doubt, as we see in the case of the Franciscans as well as in Rubeo's time, the religious were often relaxed. The Mitigated Carmelites, as a body, were not, and could not be taxed with being relaxed. The Carmelite Rule, written for hermits in the Holy Land, had been first adapted to the needs of friars living in Europe by Innocent IV. In the fifteenth century several points, especially the perpetual abstinence, were mitigated by Eugenius IV. The Caked were therefore in the same position as Catholics of the present day who observe the modified rule of the Church regarding Lent.