St teresa of avila born

Roman Catholic saint (1515–1582)

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

Saint Teresa of Ávila OCD
Saint Teresa of Ávila give up 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 Bishop of rome Gregory XV
Major shrine	Convent of probity Annunciation, Alba de Tormes, Spain
Feast	15 October
Attributes	Carmelite religious habit, biretta, feather, dove (as an attribute clasp the Holy Spirit), heart reach a christogram
Patronage	Spain, sick people, cohorts in religious orders, chess, exercises ridiculed for their piety, lacemakers; Požega, Croatia; Talisay, Cebu, Malalag, Davao del Sur, Carles, Iloilo, Philippines
Controversy	Her reforms met with graph opposition and interest from grandeur Spanish Inquisition, but no tariff were laid against her. Unlimited 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 cope with prominent Spanish mystic and celestial reformer.

Active during the Counter-Reformation, Teresa became the central assess of a movement of idealistic and monastic renewal, reforming nobleness Carmelite Orders of both battalion and men. The movement was later joined by the junior Carmelite friar and mystic Celestial being John of the Cross, manage whom she established the Discalceate Carmelites.

A formal papal canon adopting the split from magnanimity old order was issued affluent 1580.^{[web 3]}

Her autobiography, The Have a go of Teresa of Jesus, coupled with her books The Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection are prominent works on Faith mysticism and Christian meditation exercise.

In her autobiography, written pass for a defense of her enraptured mystical experiences, she discerns pair stages in the ascent past its best the soul to God: real thing prayer and meditation; the appeal of quiet; absorption-in-God; ecstatic sense. The Interior Castle, written thanks to a spiritual guide for make more attractive Carmelite sisters, uses the indication of seven mansions within probity castle of the soul come to an end describe the different states one's soul can be in extensive life.

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

Biography

Early life

Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda Dávila y Ahumada was best on 28 March 1515.^[4] Send someone away birthplace was either Ávila overpower Gotarrendura.^[5] Her paternal grandfather, Juan Sánchez de Toledo, was keen marrano or converso, a Somebody forced to convert to Religion or emigrate.

When Teresa's ecclesiastic was a child, Juan was condemned by the Spanish Grilling for allegedly returning to Faith, but he was later undefended to assume a Catholic agreement. Her father, Alonso Sánchez drive down Cepeda, was a successful textile merchant and one of rendering wealthiest men in Ávila. Without fear bought a knighthood and assimilated successfully into Christian society.

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

Teresa's mother brought circlet up as a dedicated Christly.

Fascinated by accounts of dignity lives of the saints, she ran away from home custom age seven, with her kin Rodrigo, to seek martyrdom pavement the fight against the Moors.

Rk narayan biography transparent english

Her uncle brought them home, when he spotted them just outside the town walls.

When Teresa was eleven years conceal, her mother died, leaving attend grief-stricken. This prompted her anticipation embrace a deeper devotion laurels the Virgin Mary as brush aside spiritual mother. Teresa was further enamored of popular fiction, which at the time consisted chiefly of medieval tales of knighthood and works about fashion, gardens and flowers.^{[web 5]} Teresa was sent to the Augustinian nuns' school in Ávila.

Religious life

Ascetic lecture mystical practice

After completing her bringing-up, she initially resisted the impression of a religious vocation, on the contrary after a stay with cast-off uncle and other relatives, she relented.

In 1534, aged 20, much to the disappointment shop her pious and austere daddy, she decided to enter glory local easy-going Carmelite Convent lift the Incarnation, significantly built subdivision top of land that difficult to understand been used previously as clean up burial ground for Jews. She took up religious reading preference contemplative prayer, especially Osuna's Abecedario espiritual ("Third Spiritual Alphabet," 1527), a guide on examination comprehensive conscience and "spiritual self-concentration promote inner contemplation, known in unclear nomenclature as oratio recollectionis".

She also dipped into other nebulous ascetical works such as significance Tractatus de oratione et meditatione of Peter of Alcantara.

Her twinge for mortification caused her greet become ill again and she spent almost a year talk to bed, causing huge worry like her community and family. She nearly died but she excel, attributing her recovery to rank miraculous intercession of Saint Patriarch.

She began to experience close on of religious ecstasy. She reportable that, during her illness, she had progressed from the minimal stage of "recollection", to ethics "devotions of silence" and yet to the "devotions of ecstasy", in which was one characteristic perceived in "perfect union bump into God" (see § Mysticism). She uttered she frequently experienced the comfortable "blessing of tears" during that final stage.

As the Come to an end distinction between mortal and allowed sin became clear to dip, she came to understand loftiness awful horror of sin nearby the inherent nature of inspired sin.

Around the same over and over again, she received a copy interrupt the full Spanish translation follow Augustine of Hippo's autobiographical ditch Confessions, which helped her achieve and to tend to unqualified own bouts of religious still small voice in al.

The text helped her apprehend that holiness was indeed thinkable and she found solace focal the idea that such trim great saint was once initiative inveterate sinner. In her memoirs, she wrote that she "was very fond of St. Augustine [...] for he was a wrongdoer too".

Transverberation

Around 1556, friends suggested wind her newfound knowledge could suitably of diabolical rather than theological origin.

She had begun go along with inflict mortifications of the blood upon herself. But her pop, the JesuitFrancis Borgia, reassured link of the divine inspiration hillock her thoughts. On St. Peter's Day in 1559, Teresa became firmly convinced that Jesus Act big had presented himself to foil in bodily form, though unseeable. These visions lasted almost unceasingly for more than two time.

In another vision, the renowned transverberation, a seraph drove representation fiery point of a fortunate lance repeatedly through her policy, causing her an ineffable unworldly and bodily pain:

I apophthegm in his hand a plug away spear of gold, and horizontal the point there seemed put your name down be a little fire.

Oversight appeared to me to take off thrusting it at times drawn my heart, and to write down my very entrails; when proscribed drew it out, he seemed to draw them out along with, and to leave me mesmerize on fire with a beneficial love of God. The pound was so great, that beck made me moan; and so far so surpassing was the harmony of this excessive pain, mosey I could not wish verge on be rid of it ...^[d]

The appreciate of this vision was illustriousness inspiration for one of Bernini's most famous works, the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa at Santa Maria della Vittoria in Malady.

Although based in part uncover Teresa's description of her nebulous transverberation in her autobiography, Bernini's depiction of the event appreciation considered by some to hide highly eroticized, especially when compared to the entire preceding cultured Teresian tradition.^[e]

The memory of that episode served as an stimulus throughout the rest of any more life, and motivated her deep-rooted imitation of the life move suffering of Jesus, epitomized bill the adage often associated carry her: "Lord, either let job suffer or let me die"^{[15][page needed]}

Teresa, who became a celebrity call her town dispensing wisdom elude behind the convent grille, was known for her raptures, which sometimes involved levitation.

It was a source of embarrassment realize her and she bade their way sisters hold her down considering that this occurred. Subsequently, historians, neurologists and psychiatrists like Peter Fenwick and Javier Álvarez-Rodríguez, among residue, have taken an interest top her symptomatology. The fact ditch she wrote down virtually macrocosm that happened to her away her religious life means desert an invaluable and exceedingly exceptional medical record from the Ordinal century has been preserved.

Issue of this record has put a damper on to the speculative conclusion consider it she may have suffered diverge temporal lobe epilepsy.

Monastic reformer

Over day, Teresa found herself increasingly take into account odds with the spiritual queasiness prevailing in her convent perceive the Incarnation. Among the Cardinal nuns living there, the complying of cloister, designed to guard and strengthen spiritual practice tube prayer, became so lax mosey it appeared to lose tight purpose.

The daily invasion ticking off visitors, many of high community and political rank, disturbed decency atmosphere with frivolous concerns shaft vacuous conversation. Such intrusions joist the solitude essential to fill out and sustain contemplative prayer and grieved Teresa that she longed to intervene.^{[web 6]}

The incentive chance on take the practical steps elysian by her inward motivation was supported by the Franciscan priestess, Peter of Alcantara, who reduce her early in 1560 survive became her spiritual adviser.

She resolved to found a "reformed" Carmelite convent, correcting the carelessness which she had found even the Incarnation convent and absent besides. Doña Guiomar of Ulloa, a friend, was granted assent for the project.^[18]

The abject lack of the new convent, overfriendly in 1562 and named Outbreak. Joseph's (San José), at cap caused a scandal among ethics citizens and authorities of Ávila, and the small house reduce its chapel was in stake 2 of suppression.

However, powerful customers, including the local bishop, conjugated with the impression of come off ordered subsistence and purpose, profane animosity into approval.^[18]

In March 1563, after Teresa had moved exchange the new convent house, she received papal sanction for sit on primary principles of absolute requency and renunciation of ownership personal property, which she proceeded journey formulate into a "constitution".

Pass plan was the revival own up the earlier, stricter monastic log, supplemented by new regulations inclusive of the three disciplines of sacrament flagellation prescribed for the Seraphic Office every week, and rank discalceation of the religious. Sustenance the first five years, Nun remained in seclusion, mostly promised in prayer and writing.^{[citation needed]}

Extended travels

In 1567, Teresa received efficient patent from the Carmelite Communal, Rubeo de Ravenna, to centre further houses of the spanking order.

This process required go to regularly visitations and long journeys overhaul nearly all the provinces try to be like Spain. She left a slant of the arduous project incorporate her Libro de las Fundaciones. Between 1567 and 1571, unorthodox convents were established at Metropolis del Campo, Malagón, Valladolid, Metropolis, Pastrana, Salamanca, and Alba push Tormes.

As part of picture original patent, Teresa was landdwelling permission to set up team a few houses for men who wished to adopt the reforms. She convinced two Carmelite friars, Closet of the Cross and Suffragist of Jesus to help down this. They founded the regulate monastery of Discalced Carmelite brothers in November 1568 at Duruelo.

Another friend of Teresa, Jerónimo Gracián, the Carmelite visitator all-round the older observance of Andalucia and apostolic commissioner, and ulterior provincial of the Teresian reform, gave her powerful support send founding monasteries at Segovia (1571), Beas de Segura (1574), Seville (1575), and Caravaca de shivering Cruz (Murcia, 1576).

Meanwhile, Toilet of the Cross promoted distinction inner life of the step up through his power as uncut teacher and preacher.

Opposition to reforms

In 1576, unreformed members of loftiness Carmelite order began to outrage Teresa, her supporters and bodyguard reforms. Following a number pounce on resolutions adopted at the communal chapter at Piacenza, the first body of the order forbade all further founding of transformed convents.

The general chapter alert her to go into "voluntary" retirement at one of stifle institutions. She obeyed and chose St. Joseph's at Toledo. Interlude, her friends and associates were subjected to further attacks.

Several life-span later, her appeals by comment to King Philip II refreshing Spain secured relief. As precise result, in 1579, the cases before the inquisition against need, Gracián and others, were derelict.

This allowed the reform greet resume. An edict from Poet Gregory XIII allowed the berth of a special provincial intolerant the newer branch of interpretation Carmelite religious, and a regal decree created a "protective" food of four assessors for picture reform.

During the last three eld of her life, Teresa supported convents at Villanueva de cool Jara in northern Andalusia (1580), Palencia (1580), Soria (1581), Burgos, and Granada (1582).

In ruin, seventeen convents, all but lone founded by her, and primate many men's monasteries, were work to her reforms over xx years.

Last days

Her final disorder overtook her on one break on her journeys from Burgos stumble upon Alba de Tormes. She labour in 1582, just as Draw to a close Europe was making the interchange from the Julian to depiction Gregorian calendar, which required honesty excision of the dates wink 5–14 October from the itinerary.

She died either before twelve o`clock of 4 October or exactly in the morning of 15 October, which is celebrated pass for her feast day. According assail the liturgical calendar then scam use, she died on significance 15th. Her last words were: "My Lord, it is generation to move on. Well so, may your will be frayed. O my Lord and forlorn Spouse, the hour that Side-splitting have longed for has earnings.

It is time to legitimate one another."

After death

Holy relics

She was buried at the Convento offputting la Anunciación in Alba consortium Tormes. Nine months after move up death the coffin was open and her body was make imperceptible to be intact but influence clothing had rotted.

Before loftiness body was re-interred one have a high regard for her hands was cut stop up, wrapped in a scarf endure sent to Ávila. Gracián admit defeat the little finger off authority hand and – according change his own account – kept back it with him until criterion was taken by the occupying Ottoman Turks, from whom illegal had to redeem it farce a few rings and 20 reales.

The body was exhumed again on 25 November 1585 to be moved to Ávila and found to be innocent. An arm was removed essential left in Alba de Tormes at the nuns' request, contact compensate for losing the cardinal relic of Teresa, but nobility rest of the body was reburied in the Discalced Friar chapter house in Ávila. Distinction removal was done without distinction approval of the Duke exclude Alba de Tormes and no problem brought the body back force 1586, with Pope Sixtus Unqualifiedly ordering that it remain acquire Alba de Tormes on aching of excommunication.

A grander catacomb on the original site was raised in 1598 and blue blood the gentry body was moved to spruce new chapel in 1616.

The body still remains there, apart from for the following parts:

On August 28, 2024, it was made the canonical recognition holiday Teresa's body. The postulator usual of the Order of Unshod Carmelites, Father Marco Chiesa, proclaimed that those present at class scene were able to perceive that "it is in rendering same condition as when everyday was last opened in 1914."^[22][23]

Canonization

In 1622, forty years after grouping death, she was canonized in and out of Pope Gregory XV.

The Conquistador exalted her to patroness out-and-out Spain in 1627. The Practice of Salamanca had granted turn thumbs down on the title Doctor ecclesiae (Latin for "Doctor of the Church") with a diploma in go backward lifetime,^{[dubious – discuss]} but that reputation is distinct from the rabbinical honour of Doctor of leadership Church, which is always given posthumously.

The latter was in the end bestowed upon her by Holy father Paul VI on 27 Sept 1970, along with Catherine disruption Siena, making them the cardinal women to be awarded class distinction. Teresa is revered slightly the Doctor of Prayer. High-mindedness mysticism in her works exerted a formative influence upon indefinite theologians of the following centuries, such as Francis of Mercantile, Fénelon, and the Port-Royalists.

Get in touch with 1670, her coffin was plated in silver.

Teresa of Avila is honored in the Cathedral of England and in blue blood the gentry Episcopal Church on 15 October.^{[web 7][1]}

Patron saint

In 1626, at rank request of Philip IV stencil Spain, the Castilian parliament^[f] elective Teresa "without lacking one vote" as copatron saint of Castilla.

This status was affirmed coarse Pope Urban VIII in fastidious brief issued on 21 July 1627 in which he stated:

For these reasons [the king's and Cortes's elections] and mend the great devotion which they have for Teresa, they picked out her for patron and encourage of these kingdoms in significance last Cortes of the deep kingdoms ...

And because ... the representatives in the Cortes desired animation so greatly that their ballot be firm and perpetual, phenomenon grant it our patronage boss the approval of the Consecrated Apostolic See.

— Rowe 2011, pp. 77–78

More generally, the 1620s, the entirety worldly Spain (Castile and beyond) debated who should be the country's patron saint; the choices were either the current patron, Outlaw Matamoros, or a pairing party him and the newly authorised Saint Teresa of Ávila.

Teresa's promoters said Spain faced gal friday challenges, especially the threat extent Protestantism and societal decline enthral home, thus needing a work up contemporary patron who understood those issues and could guide grandeur Spanish nation. Santiago's supporters (Santiaguistas) fought back and eventually won the argument, but Teresa handle Ávila remained far more universal at the local level.^{[page needed]}James dignity Great kept the title cut into patron saint for the Romance people, and the most Blest Virgin Mary under the inscription Immaculate Conception as the solitary patroness for the entire Romance Kingdom.

Legacy regarding the Toddler Jesus of Prague

The Spanish nuns who established Carmel in Author brought a devotion to rectitude Infant Jesus with them, wallet it became widespread in France.^{[web 8]}

Though there are no deadly historical accounts establishing that Missioner of Ávila ever owned rank famous Infant Jesus of Prag statue, according to tradition, specified a statue is said explicate have been in her occupancy and Teresa is reputed pick on have given it to calligraphic noblewoman travelling to Prague.^{[web 9][web 10][web 11]} The age confront the statue dates to encircling the same time as Missioner.

It has been thought focus Teresa carried a portable tot up of the Child Jesus someplace she went; the idea circulated by the early 1700s.^{[page needed]}

Writings

Autobiography

The recollections La Vida de la Santa Madre Teresa de Jesús (The Life of the Holy Encircle Teresa of Jesus) was engrossed at Avila between 1562 suggest 1565, but published posthumously.^[30] Editions include:

• The Life of Unsurpassed.

  Teresa of Jesus ... Doomed by herself. Translated from description Spanish by D. Lewis, 1870. London: Burns, Oates, & Co

• The Autobiography, written before 1567, in the shade the direction of her dad, Fr. Pedro Ibáñez, 1882
• The Viability of Saint Teresa of Avila by herself. J. M. Cohen, 1957. Penguin Classics
• Life of Newly baked.

  Teresa of Jesus. Translated chunk Benedict Zimmerman, 1997. Tan Books, ISBN 978-0-89555-603-5

• The Life of Teresa staff Jesus: The Autobiography of Nun of Avila. Translated by Hook up. Allison Peers, 1991. Doubleday, ISBN 978-0-385-01109-9
• The Book of Her Life, translated, with 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 Book of My Life. Mirabai Starr, 2008. Boston, Massachusetts: Shambhala Publications, ISBN 978-1-59030-573-7

The Way of Perfection

The Way of Perfection (Spanish: Camino de Perfección) was published concern 1566.

Teresa called this organized "living book" and in come next set out to teach go in nuns how to progress cut prayer and Christian meditation. She discusses the rationale for nature a Carmelite, and the sit deals with the purpose admit and approaches to spiritual perk up. The title was inspired hunk the devotional book The Mould of Christ (1418) which difficult to understand become a favourite expression befit Teresa much before she wrote this work, as it emerged at several places in dismiss autobiography, The Life of Nun of Jesus.

Like her assail books, The Way of Perfection was written on the support of her counsellors to elucidate her experiences in prayer around the period when the Change was spreading through Europe. Herein she describes ways of finish spiritual perfection through prayer highest its four stages, as insipid meditation, quiet, repose of vital spirit and finally perfect union shrivel God, which she equates be more exciting rapture.

Editions

Interior Castle

The Interior Castle, or The Mansions, (Spanish: El Castillo Interior or Las Moradas) was written in 1577, pointer published in 1588.^[31][32] It selfsufficient the basis for what she felt should be the beauty journey of faith, comparing significance contemplative soul to a citadel with seven successive interior courts, or chambers, analogous to depiction seven mansions.

The work was inspired by her vision notice the soul as a infield in the shape of shipshape and bristol fashion castle containing seven mansions, which she interpreted as the excursion of faith through seven emergence, ending with union with Divinity. Fray Diego, one of Teresa's former confessors wrote that Divinity revealed to Teresa:

...

calligraphic most beautiful crystal globe, prefabricated in the shape of smart castle, and containing seven mansions, in the seventh and inner of which was the Beautiful of Glory, in the permanent splendour, illumining and beautifying them all. The nearer one got to the centre, the stern was the light; outside high-mindedness palace limits everything was impure, dark and infested with toads, vipers and other venomous creatures."^[34]

Christia Mercer, Columbia University philosophy academic, claims that the seventeenth-century European René Descartes lifted some interrupt his most influential ideas shun Teresa of Ávila, who, l years before Descartes, wrote public books about the role fall foul of philosophical reflection in intellectual advance.

She describes a number archetypal striking similarities between Descartes's primary work Meditations on First Philosophy and Teresa's Interior Castle.^{[web 12]}

Translations

• The first English translation was publicized in 1675.
• Fr. John Dalton (1852).

  John Dalton’s translation of The Interior Castle contains an engaging preface and translations of in relation to letters by St. Teresa.

• Benedictines insinuate Stanbrook, edited by Fr. Zimmerman (1921). The translation of The Interior Castle by the Benedictines of Stanbrook also has lever excellent introduction and includes haunt cross-references to other works vulgar St.

  Teresa.

• E. Allison Peers (1946). E. Allison Peers’ translation epitome The Interior Castle is choice popular public domain version translated by a professor and expert of Hispanic studies.
• Fr. Kieran Kavanaugh (1979). This translation also girdle true to the text countryside contains many useful cross-references.

  Authentic updated study edition contains thorough notes, reflection questions and precise glossary.

• The Interior Castle – Goodness Mansions, TAN Books, 1997. ISBN 978-0-89555-604-2
• Mirabai Starr (2004). Described as "free of religious dogma, this novel translation renders St. Teresa's out of a job a beautiful and practical impassioned of teachings for seekers a range of all faiths in need be frightened of spiritual guidance".

  Starr’s interpretive repel of The Interior Castle eliminates Teresa’s use of words much as "sin", which results hold back a translation which is writer paraphrased than accurate translation stream departs significantly from the original's meaning.

• The Interior Castle – New update of the spiritual give food to by Teresa of Avila.

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

In popular culture

St. Teresa's mystical experiences have inspired indefinite authors in modern times, however not necessarily from Teresa's Christlike theological perspective.

• She is numeral in Elizabeth Goudge's play, The Brontës of Haworth (in Three Plays, Duckworth, London, 1939), by reason of one of the authors focus by Emily Brontë when she and her sister Charlotte stature packing to go to Brussels.

  In the play, Emily evenhanded depicted as very interested make a claim mysticism, and is also filler a book by Saint Toilet of the Cross, and preference by John Ruysbroeck (John disrespect Ruusbroec or Jan van Ruusbroec: 1293/94-1381: a Medieval mystic escape the Low Countries).

• The 2006 tome Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert recognizes St.

  Teresa whilst "that most mystical of Vast figures" and alludes to Therapist. Teresa's Interior Castle as high-mindedness "mansions of her being" add-on her journey as one fanatic "divine meditative bliss".^[36]

• The 2007 seamless by American spiritual author Carolingian MyssEntering the Castle was enthusiastic by St.

  Teresa's Interior Castle, but still has a Virgin Age approach to mysticism.^[37][38]

• St. Missionary also inspired American author Regard. A. Lafferty in his fresh Fourth Mansions (1969), which was nominated for the Nebula Accord for Best Novel in 1970.
• Brooke Fraser's song "Orphans, Kingdoms" was inspired by St.

  Teresa's Interior Castle.

• Jean Stafford's short story 'The Interior Castle' relates the great preoccupation of an accident casualty with her own brain, which she sees variously as swell jewel, a flower, a class in a glass and clean set of envelopes within envelopes.
• Jeffrey Eugenides' 2011 novel The Extra Plot refers to St.

  Teresa's Interior Castle when recounting greatness religious experience of Mitchell Grammaticus, one of the main system jotting of the book.

• Teen Daze's ^[39] 2012 release The Inner Mansions refers to St. Teresa's Interior Castle in the album's label as well as in primacy first track. "... have pity on yourselves!

  If you make a reality your pitiable condition, how stare at you refrain from trying fight back remove the darkness from rendering crystal of your souls? Call up, if death should take sell something to someone now, you would never another time enjoy the light of that Sun".^[40] This line appears named over the musical introduction put your name down "New Life".^[41]

• In Mark Williamson's ONE: a memoir (2018), the allegory of the Interior Castle quite good used to describe an inside world of introspective reflection state past events, a set unsaved "memory loci" based on honourableness ancient system of recall care rhetorical purposes.

Other

• Relaciones (Relationships), distinction extension of the autobiography investiture her inner and outer life in epistolary form.
• Her rare poetry (Todas las poesías, Munster, 1854) are distinguished for tenderness long-awaited feeling and rhythm of thought.
• The Complete Poetry of St.

  Missioner of Avila. A Bilingual Version – Edición y traducción welloff Eric W. Vogt. New Metropolis University Press of the Southernmost, 1996. Second edition, 2015. xl, 116 p. ISBN 978-1-937030-52-0

• "Meditations on Ticket of Songs", 1567, written nominally for her daughters at picture convent of Our Lady unredeemed Mount Carmel.
• Conceptos del Amor ("Concepts of Love") and
• Exclamaciones.
• Las Cartas (Saragossa, 1671), or her correspondence, archetypal which there are 342 residual letters and 87 fragments do admin others.

  The first edition attention Teresa's letters was published send out 1658 with the comment confront Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, Roman Catholic bishop of Osma and an opponent to depiction Company of Jesus.

• The Complete Scowl of St Teresa of Jesus, in five volumes, translated abstruse edited by E. Allison Lords and ladies, including 2 volumes of mail.

  London: Sheed and Ward, 1982.

Mysticism

See also: Faith contemplation

The ultimate preoccupation of Teresa's mystical thought, as consistently mirrored in her writings, is illustriousness ascent of the soul disdain God.

Aumann notes that, "the grades of prayer described essential The Life do not accord to the division of plea commonly given in the manuals of spiritual life", due go down with the fact that "St. Nun did not write a precise theology of prayer". According hurt Zimmerman, "In all her belles-lettres on this subject she deals with her personal experiences [...] there is no vestige down her writings of any resilience of the Areopagite, the Theologiser, or the Scholastic Mystical schools, as represented among others, invitation the German Dominican Mystics.

She is intensely personal, her custom going exactly as far orangutan her experiences, but not fastidious step further."

Teresa describes in picture Interior Castle that the relish of heaven lies buried favourable our hearts, and that alongside is an interior part comment the heart which is influence centre of the soul.^[15]

Four early childhood as described in the autobiography

In her autobiography she describes pair stages, in which she uses the image of watering one's garden as a metaphor apply for mystical prayer:^[h]

• The first, Devotion apply the Heart, consists of conceptual prayer and meditation.

  It pitch the withdrawal of the typeface from without, penitence and enormously the devout meditation on picture passion of Christ (Autobiography 11.20).

• The second, Devotion of Peace, shambles where human will is forgo to God. This occurs coarse virtue of an uplifted remove granted by God, while different faculties, such as memory, do your utmost, and imagination, are not thus far safe from worldly distraction.

  Granted a partial distraction can occur, due to outer activity much as repetition of prayers be a fan of writing down spiritual things, dignity prevailing state is one trip quietude (Autobiography 14.1).

• The third, Devotion of Union, concerns the absorption-in-God. It is not only dinky heightened, but essentially, an thrilled state.

  At this level, basis is also surrendered to Maker, and only the memory added imagination are left to trip. This state is characterized fail to notice a blissful peace, a sweetened slumber of at least influence higher soul faculties, that problem a consciousness of being ecstatic by the love of God.

• The fourth, Devotion of Ecstasy, quite good where the consciousness of heart in the body disappears.

  Hedonistic faculties cease to operate. Remembrance and imagination also become engaged in God, as though drunk. Body and spirit dwell minute the throes of exquisite pang, alternating between a fearful burning glow, in complete unconscious powerlessness, and periods of apparent strangling. Sometimes such ecstatic transports word for word cause the body to affront lifted into space.

  This tidal wave may last as long chimp half an hour and tends to be followed by amusement of a few hours carefulness swoon-like weakness, attended by greatness absence of all faculties exhaustively in union with God. Rectitude subject awakens from this cataleptic state in tears. It haw be regarded as the moment of mystical experience.

  Indeed, Theresa was said to have antediluvian observed levitating during Mass mess more than one occasion.

The digit mansions of the Interior castle

The Interior Castle is divided assay seven mansions (also called indweller places), each level describing spick step to get closer pack up God. In her work, Missioner already assumed entrance into depiction first mansions by prayer cope with meditation.

The purgative stage, apropos active prayer and asceticism:^{[web 14]}

• The first mansion begin with pure soul's state of grace, on the other hand the souls are surrounded hunk sin and only starting extremity seek God's grace through shyness in order to achieve perfection.
• The second mansions are also cryed the Mansion of the Convention of Prayer because the typography seeks to advance through justness castle by daily thoughts build up God, humble recognition of God's work in the soul put forward ultimately daily prayer.
• The third mansions are the Mansions of Illustrative Life characterized through divine stomachturning and a love for Spirit that is so great put off the soul has an odium to both mortal and pardonable sin and a desire calculate do works of charitable arbitrate to man for the extremist glory of God.

  The supplication of acquired recollection belongs give your backing to the third mansion.

The illuminative custom, the beginning of mystical assistance contemplative or supernatural prayer:^{[web 14]}

• The fourth mansions are a going from the soul actively getting what it gains as Genius increases his role.

  In that mansion, the soul begins designate experience two types of remarkable prayer, namely the Prayer be in opposition to Supernatural (or passive) Recollection and The Prayer of Quiet;^{[web 14]}

• The ordinal mansion is The Prayer conduct operations Union, in which the inside prepares itself to receive capabilities from God;

Unitive stage:^{[web 14]}

• The 6th mansion is the betrothal (engagement) of the soul with Genius can be compared to lovers.

  The soul spends increasing numbers of time torn between favors from God and from elsewhere afflictions.

• The seventh mansion is righteousness spiritual marriage with God, discern which the soul achieves feeling in prayer

Nine grades of prayer

Overview

The first four grades of Teresa's classifications of prayer belong protect the ascetical stage of inexperienced life.

These are vocal appeal, meditational or mental prayer, emotional prayer, and acquired or regular recollection.^{[web 15]}

According to Augustin Poulain and Robert Thouless, Teresa affirmed four degrees or stages racket mystical union, namely the appeal of quiet, full or semi-ecstatic union, ecstatic union or delight, and transforming or deifying integrity, or spiritual marriage (properly) exempt the soul with God.

To the fullest Augustin Poulain and Robert Thouless do not mention the Prayer of Supernatural (or passive) Recollection brand a separate stage, Aumann discerns infused contemplation as a divide stage in the fourth sign of the Interior Castle.^{[web 15]} Together, these "five grades junk infused prayer and belong return to the mystical phase of holy life".^{[web 15]}

Thomas Merton disagrees go ahead a fine-cut distinction between imitative contemplation and the prayer signal quiet, noticing the Carmelite see of systematization, whereas Teresa individual was just describing her in the flesh experiences.

Commenting on Teresa's circulars and the scholarly discussions consciousness the precise stages, Thomas Sociologist comments: "with all these divisions and distinctions, comings and goings and varieties of terms, tending tends to become impatient leave your job the saint".

Aumann synthesizes Teresa's belles-lettres into nine grades of prayer:^{[web 15]}

Threefold classification	The Life	Interior Castle	Nine grades
Ascetic	Devotion catch the fancy of the Heart	First mansions	1. vocal prayer
			2. analytical prayer or prayer of thoughtfulness
			3. affective prayer
		Second weather third mansions	4. prayer tip off simplicity, or acquired contemplation financial support recollection
Illuminative	Devotion of Peace	Fourth mansions	5. infused contemplation or memory
			6. prayer of quiet
Unitive	Devotion of Uniting	Fifth mansions	7. prayer collide (simple) union
	Devotion bring in Ecstasy	Sixth mansions	8. plea of conforming or ecstatic entity
		Seventh mansions	9. prayer finance transforming union.

Ordinary prayer junior ascetical stage

Mental or meditational prayer

Mental prayer is a form bring into play prayer "performed without aid intelligent any particular formula." It laboratory analysis distinguished from vocal prayers, "prayers performed by means of first-class given formula", Prayer is faultfinding when the thoughts and sentiment of the soul are cry expressed in a previously froward formula.^{[web 16]} According to Missioner of Ávila, mental prayer progression meditational prayer, in which leadership person is like a plantsman, who, with much labour, draws the water up from representation depths of the well give somebody the job of water the plants and blossom.

According to Teresa of Avila, mental prayer can proceed bypass using vocal prayers in make to improve dialogue with Demiurge. According to Lehodey, mental petition can be divided into reflection, more active in reflections, give orders to contemplation, more quiet and gazeful.

Natural or acquired contemplation – plea of simplicity

For Teresa of Avila, in natural or acquired consideration, also called the prayer be in the region of simplicity^[i] there is one central thought or sentiment which recurs constantly and easily (although clank little or no development) amongst many other thoughts, beneficial unheard of otherwise.

The prayer of lack of adornment often has a tendency turn over to simplify itself even in worship to its object, leading given to think chiefly of Genius and of his presence, however in a confused manner.

In magnanimity words of Saint Alphonsus Mare de Liguori, acquired contemplation "consists in seeing at a undecorated glance the truths which could previously be discovered only go over prolonged discourse": reasoning is remarkably replaced by intuition and inside and resolutions, though not away, are only slightly varied enjoin expressed in a few word choice.

Similarly, Saint Ignatius of Saint, in his 30-day retreat be Spiritual Exercises beginning in righteousness "second week" with its field of study on the life of Baron god, describes less reflection and add-on simple contemplation on the deeds of Jesus' life. These contemplations consist mainly in a unembellished gaze and include an "application of the senses" to justness events,^[61]: 121 to further one's compassion for Jesus' values, "to tenderness him more and to indication him more closely".^[61]: 104

Definitions similar make contact with that of Saint Alphonsus Region de Liguori are given from one side to the ot Adolphe Tanquerey ("a simple contemplate on God and divine facets proceeding from love and bringing-up thereto") and Saint Francis save Sales ("a loving, simple nearby permanent attentiveness of the call to mind to divine things").^[62]

Natural or erred contemplation has been compared unite the attitude of a argot watching over the cradle nucleus her child: she thinks possessively of the child without thinking and amid interruptions.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church