Letter 115. To Father Gracian, Seville, Toledo, October 1576

Father Gradan and the Caked friars, Paul and "Joseph, Counsels on prayer,

JESUS !

May the grace of the Holy Ghost be with your

Paternity, my Father.

Madrid, I suppose that there is not much amiss.

I am well and my Isabel' furnishes us with recreation: her content and happiness are wonderful. I wrote to Doña Juana yesterday. All are well.

I have thanked God from my heart for the way in which our affairs are progressing. I was astonished at what Fray Alonso tells me is being said about your Paternity. God bless me! How necessary your journey was! Had you done nothing else I think you were bound in conscience to do this for the honour of the Order. I do not know how they could publish such calumnies: may God enlighten these fathers. Had your Paternity some one whom you could trust, it would be a very good plan to give them another prior, but since there is no one else, I was astonished at hearing who made that suggestion, which would have no result. It would be a great thing to have some one there who was not opposed to us in every way, if you thought well of the idea. Great difficulties might arise if the present prior should refuse to resign. These fathers do not appear to wish to be slighted, which is not surprising.

I am more surprised at Paul \ busy as he is, being able to fulfil his obligations towards Joseph so peacefully : I thank God sincerely for it. Will your Paternity tell Paul to be satisfied at last with his prayer and not to be concerned about using his intelled: when God grants him a favour of another kind; say that I am much pleased with what he wrote to me. As regards the interior things of the spirit, the most acceptahle and efFeótual prayer is that which produces the best results. By this I do not mean a number of desires at a time which, although good, are not always what our self-love paints them, but effecfts manifested by deeds and desires for the glory of God shown by the soul's seeking it sincerely, so that the memory and understanding are employed in pleasing Him and in proving our love for Him to the uttermost.

Oh, what genuine prayer this is ! But not so a sweetness which ends in our own enjoyment. When prayer is accompanied with such sweetness, it leaves the soul feeble and timid and very sensitive to human résped:. I wish for no prayer that does not make me grow in virtue. If it were accompanied by violent temptations, aridities, and trouble, and left me more humble, I should consider it a good prayer, for the more it pleases God, the better the prayer in my opinion.

May He deign to preserve your Paternity for us as I desire,

Teresa de Jesus.