Letter (number unidentified). To An Unknown Person, Probably written at Toledo in July or August, 1577

JESUS! May the grace of the Holy Spirit be with your

Reverence.

RAY Francisco de la Concepcion, who was at Malagon, came here yesterday... The servant of your Reverence, Teresa de Jesus.

convent of Pastrana. In the following year he entered the noviciate of the Discalced friars and took the name Francisco de la Concepcion. While yet a novice he sometimes acted as Superior during the absence of the prior, Fray Baltasar. At the suggestion of, and with the help of abundant alms from Prince Ruy Gomez, he founded a college for Discalced friars at Alcala (November 1, 1570), where he attended the lectures with the youngest students. When Antonio de Heredia was sent by the Commissary Apostolic to reform the Calced friars at Toledo, he was accompanied by Francisco de la Concepcion, as appears from a document in the National archives at Madrid. Later on he became prior at Mancera, where his apostolic zeal met with great success, while his extreme severity caused disorders in the community. The chronicler speaks of persecution by ‘rebellious and apostate brethren,’ but Saint Teresa herself complains of his intolerable austerities, and supported the appeal of his subjects to the Commissaries. Accordingly he was sent as prior to the hermits of La Roda (1575). Early in the following year Father Gracian sent him to Malagon as the nuns were in need of a director from among the Discalced friars. Having been nominated Prior of Pefiuela, he appears to have travelled by way of Toledo in order to report to St. Teresa on the state of the convent of Malagon. This is the visit alluded to in this fragment. He preached the Lent of 1578 at Linares, where he was assailed by a terrible fear of death, but wonderfully comforted by a vision of the Blessed Virgin, ‘clothed in the habit of the Immaculate Conception.’ On Trinity Sunday, 1579, he went with St. John of the Cross to found a friary at Baeza; soon after he fell seriously ill. For many years he had suffered from a most painful disease which now became complicated by gangrene resulting from a wound for which he had constantly refused attention. He was removed to the hospital at Baeza where he received Visits from St. John of the Cross and other friends. His death occurred towards the end of the year 1579 and was: marked by the phenomenon of celestial fragrance; the obsequies resembled those of a Prince of the Church. (Reforma, book tv, ch. 43-46, and documents in the hands of the present writer). B.Z.

Pe ee

THREE AVISOS ADDRESSED BY ST. TERESA TO HER NUNS. I JESUS!

OOD companions benefit us greatly and are pleasing to God. | tell you this because these times are so calamitous, and we are so frail, that it will not suffice for you to look upon this as a piece of advice: you must take it as a command and be glad to comply with it in order not to offend His divine Majesty. Keep firmly to your resolutions, remembering how immensely people change, Ye) that you may not commit this defect which is so offensive to God, Who never changes. We ought to keep constant vigil over ourselves as the shepherd watches over his flock lest we should fail in our duties. Keep this in mind, for when the devil can disturb our soul in no other way, he takes advantage of our negligence to turn us from the right path.

Teresa de Jesus.

II JESUS! HIS house will be a heaven, if heaven can be found on earth, for her who can content herself solely with contenting God, caring nothing for her

'' These three avisos, now in the possession of Don Bernardino de Melgar, came from the families of Oviedo y Cordovilla, connected with St. Teresa’s family. They were first published in the Boletin de la Real Acad. de la Hist. Sept., 1916, which gives a photograph of the originals. St. Teresa seems to have jotted down thoughts that occurred to her as useful for her nuns on loose sheets of paper, in the same way as the relations and maxims. No doubt more will be discovered from time to time, own content. If she seeks for nothing more, she will be happy, but if she looks for more, as her soul cannot obtain it, she will feel an intense loathing as the sick feel at the sight of a good meal which disgusts and nauseates them though it gives a healthy man a keen appetite. You must be perfectly contented with your life here, and offer God whatever trials you may suffer so that you may merit eternal glory. Teresa de Jesus.

Ill JESUS!

/ HILE I was at Salamanca, in the year biG 723 our Lord said to me: ‘Daughter, obedience gives strength.’ Therefore glory has been rendered to Him even by His divine Majesty’s having made use of the base nature of this unworthy servant of His, Teresa de Jesus.