Letter 212. To Father Juan Suarez, Provincial of the Company of Jesus, in Castile, Avila, February 10, 1578

The Saint assures him that she had no part in Father Salazars projeSi of leaving the Society and joining the Discalced Carmelites.

JESUS!

May the grace of the Holy Spirit ever be with your Paternity. Amen.

A LETTER from your Paternity 'delivered to me by the Father Red:or certainly surprised me very much, as it states that I have negotiated about Father Caspar de Salazar's leaving the Society of Jesus to enter our Order of Mount Carmel because our Lord had revealed that He wished it. As for the first point. His Majesty knows, as you will find to be the truth, that I never wanted it, much less tried to bring it about. When first I iJG'?54.1 learnt of the projed:, (which was not by your letter), my anxiety and grief increased the bad health from which I was suffering. I heard of it so recently that I think your Paternity must have known of it long before.

As for the revelation you mention, as Father Salazar has not written to me and I knew nothing of his determination, I cannot tell whether he had any revelation. If I myself had had the false revelation' of which your Paternity speaks, I am not so rash as to wish him to make such an important change on that account nor to tell him of it, for, glory be to God, I have learnt from many people what value and credit to attach to such things. Nor do I believe that Father Salazar would be influenced by a revelation unless there were some other motive for ad:ion, as he is very shrewd.

Your Paternity says the matter is to be investigated by the Superiors; this would be most prudent: you have only to order it. No doubt the Father will do nothing without your permission since you have spoken to him: at least, so I believe. I will never deny our great friendship for one another and the kindness he has shown me, though I am certain that in what he has done for me, he has been instigated more by a wish to serve our Lord and His blessed Mother than by friendliness to any one.

Indeed, I believe that sometimes we have not written to one another for two years. Our friendship dates from long ago when the Father found me in far more need ot his aid as there were only two Discalced friars in our Order. He could have made this change more easily then than now, when, glory be to God, I believe there are more than two hundred friars, numbers of whom are capable of dirediing us in our humble mode of life. Never have I thought that the arm of God would be more shortened as regards His Mother's Order than it would be to others.

As for your Paternity's alleging that I wrote to people to spread the report that you were opposing Father Salazar's projed:; may God never write me in the book of life if such an idea ever passed through my mind! Excuse this expression which I think will make you realize that I behave towards the Society as one who has its interests at heart and who would lay down her life for them, if it would serve our Lord.

The divine secrets are profound, and since I have taken no greater part in this affair than I have owned to you, of which God is witness, neither do I wish to interfere with it in future. Should the fault be laid on me, it will not be the first time I have been blamed when innocent, but experience has taught me that, when our Lord is pleased. He smoothes the way. I cannot believe that even for grave reasons, and much less for one so slight as this. His Majesty would allow His Society to oppose His Mother's Order, which it has helped, by His decree, to reform and renovate. Should He permit such a thing, I fear that what is reckoned as gain in one way will be a loss in others.

We are all vassals of this King: God grant that the servants of His Son and of His Mother may, like valiant soldiers, only watch the flag of our King so that we may follow His will. If we Carmelites do this sincerely, it is clear that those who bear the name of Jesus cannot draw apart from us as they so often threaten me they will. May God spare your Paternity to us for many years.

I know what kindness you have always shown us, and miserable creature as I am, I often pray for you as I beg you will for me. For the last six months trials and persecutions have never ceased to rain upon this poor old woman, and she does not reckon this matter as the least of them. And now, I give you my word that I will never advise Father Sa-lazar to take this step, nor ask any one else to, nor have I ever done so in the past. To-day is February lo.

Your Paternity's unworthy servant and subjecfl, Teresa de Jesus.

The following notes from Father Suarez and Father Gonzalo Davila are required to explain what follows.

Note from Father Suarez to the Re5lor of the Society at Avila to be forwarded to the Mother Teresa de Jesus.

JESUS If it shall come to my knowledge that a religious of another Order wisjies to enter the Society in this province, which contains twenty-six colleges and houses, and if I judge that it is not expedient to receive him, I will, with the help of our Lord, within twenty-four hours despatch notices forbidding his admission to the superiors of all the houses and colleges in all parts who have faculties to admit him. Most of these superiors shall receive these notices within eight days: all of them shall do so within a fortnight.

Therefore, if the Mother Teresa judges that Father Salazar should not be received into her Order, let her write a letter stating so plainly to the head of her Order, who is to communicate its contents to the rest of the superiors. Or, let her write to the superior of each house to that effect, so that all may be cognisant of it within a fortnight, for the Mother Teresa and Mother Prioress of Avila have known of the matter for a longer period than that. This, with the help of God, will be effectual.

Suarez.

Answer to Letter CCXII from Father Gonzalo Davilay Rector of the Society of Jesus Avila enclosing the former letter to St. Teresa.

Jesus be with your Reverence. I RECEIVED a letter from the Father Provincial yesterday in which he says he is sorry to learn that you were pained by his letter and begs you to read it again, when your present feelings have subsided : you will then see that a better interpretation can be put upon it and you can take it in a kindlier way. He states that you may write to Father Salazar and the superior or superiors of your Order, telling them that he may be received, or refused if there are valid reasons for it. Also that, as Father Provincial, he is satisfied with having done his duty by advising the parties concerned that he is aware of the matter, so that, should the change be made and people found fault with them, the blame might not fall on him for having known of it and said nothing. Father Suarez begs you, for love of our Lord, to remember him in your holy prayers. He says that, God willing, he will soon be in Avila and will then consult you as to whether any more steps are to be taken.

These are the words of our Father Provincial, who sent me the enclosed paper for you. For my own part, I entreat you, for love of our Lord, to carry out his request with exactitude and to write energetically to the same effect to Father Salazar, as the Father Provincial asks you, for as I remarked this very day, I fear the letter you have already sent him may not be strong enough. Do not hesitate to tell Father Salazar and the Discalced Superiors that the former is not to enter your Order, nor is he to be received without express permission either from the Holy Father or from his own General. Of this I am sure, that you will thus not only not offend our Lord but will please Him greatly.

Will your Reverence return the enclosed paper to me and tell me what you think of doing, as, in my opinion, it will be of no small consequence to you that you should have the charity to accede to our wishes.

Your letters have been given into the hands of Brother Bartolome Sicilia.