#st-francis-borgia — Public Fediverse posts

Quote of the day, 26 August: St. Edith Stein

In [Saint Teresa’s] deep humility, she could not imagine how an unworthy person (as in her opinion she was) could be so richly laden with such extraordinary favors. Of course, as long as the favors during prayer lasted she could not doubt their authenticity. But in between she was plagued by fears that these mystical states were deceptions of the devil. On the basis of her experience, Teresa later said again and again how necessary it is for a soul that is going the way of the interior life to have the guidance of a learned and enlightened spiritual director.

Even though her new spiritual director [Father Juan de Prádanos, S.J.] had no doubt about the heavenly origin of her favors during prayer, he still thought it a good idea to impose on her some constraint in her manner of meditating and to instruct her in resisting the stream of favors. But even this restriction was soon to be lifted again.

St. Francis Borgia visited the Jesuit college, and to get his evaluation, Fr. Prádanos asked him to speak with Teresa. She herself writes about this:

I let him… know the state of my soul. After listening to me, he told me that everything happening in me came from the spirit of God. He called my behavior good so far. But he said that in the future I should offer no more resistance. He advised me always to begin my prayers by meditating on one of the mysteries of the passion. If then without my assistance the Lord transported my spirit into a supernatural state, I should surrender to his guidance.… He left me completely consoled (The Book of Her Life, 24.3).

Everyone else doubted her or appeared to doubt her. Her deliverance was the goodness of the Lord who calmed her again and again, who enraptured her right in the middle of the mandatory conversations, since solitary prayer was taken from her [by a new spiritual director]. Above all, [the Lord] strengthened her to persist faithfully in the way of obedience no matter how hard it was. Her reward was new, continually greater favors. She felt the presence of the Savior by her side often for entire days.

During that time of unusual demonstrations of grace and of the most severe tests, Teresa also received a visible sensory image of the glowing love that pierced her heart.

“I saw beside me at my left side an angel in a physical form…. Because of his flaming face, he seemed to belong to that lofty choir made up only of fire and love…. I saw a long golden dart in his hands the end of which glowed like fire. From time to time the angel pierced my heart with it. When he pulled it out again, I was entirely inflamed with love for God” (The Book of Her Life, 29:13).

Saint Edith Stein

Love For Love: The life and works of St. Teresa of Jesus (1934)

Note: On August 26th, Carmel celebrates the Transverberation of the Heart of Saint Teresa of Jesus Our Mother, commemorating the grace by which her heart was pierced and inflamed with love for God. Saint Edith Stein recounts this grace in Love for Love, a brief life of Saint Teresa that she wrote during her postulancy at the Carmel of Cologne in 1934.

Stein, E 2014, The Hidden Life: hagiographic essays, meditations, spiritual texts, Stein, W (trans.), ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Detailed image of The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, a marble sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini created in 1652. The Discalced Carmelites are the guardians of the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria (St. Mary of Victory), where the Cornaro Chapel shelters this precious artwork. Learn more about Bernini’s masterpiece. Image credit: Discalced Carmelites (by permission).

Quote of the day, 31 July: St. Teresa of Avila

For almost two months I was trying to resist with all my might the gifts and favors of God.

In resisting these consolations and favors of God, I gained by learning something from His Majesty. For in the past I had thought that to receive favors in prayer much seclusion was necessary, and I hardly dared to stir. Afterward I saw how little such effort mattered.

I started again to love the most sacred humanity. Prayer began to take shape as an edifice that now had a foundation; I grew fond of more penance, for I had been negligent on account of the severity of my illnesses.

At that time Father Francis [Saint Francis Borgia] came to this place. He had been the Duke of Gandía, and some years before had given up all and entered the Society of Jesus. My confessor [Father Diego de Cetina, S.J., St. Teresa’s first Jesuit confessor], and the gentleman I also mentioned who came to me [Don Francisco de Salcedo, who became one of Teresa’s closest friends], arranged that I might speak with him and give him an account of my prayer because I knew that he was advancing in the favors and gifts of God. Since he was one who had abandoned many things for Him, God repaid him even in this life.

Well, after he had heard me, he told me that my experience was from the Spirit of God and that it seemed to him it would no longer be good to resist, but that up to this time it had been all right, and that I should always begin prayer with an event from the Passion, but that if afterward the Lord should carry away the spirit I ought not resist Him but let His Majesty bear it away—and not strive to do so myself. As one who was well advanced, he gave the medicine and the counsel, for experience in this matter is very important. He said it would be a mistake to resist any longer.

I was left greatly consoled. The gentleman too was very glad that Father Francis said it was from God, and this gentleman helped me and gave me advice in matters where he could, which were many

Saint Teresa of Avila

The Book of Her Life, ch. 24

Teresa of Avila, St 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Kavanaugh, K & Rodriguez, O (trans.), ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: The Conversion of the Duke of Gandía by José Moreno Carbonero (Spanish, 1860–1942) depicts the pivotal event in the life of St. Francis Borgia, who was the fourth Duke of Gandía. The painting’s gallery label in the Prado Museum provides many details about the work and its technique, but the principal players in this dramatic scene are Francis and the body in the casket. When the saintly duke sees the body of Empress Isabella of Portugal, the wife of Charles V, he almost collapses in front of one of his knights. The story goes that when St. Francis Borgia saw how the beautiful Isabella’s body had decayed, he swore never to serve a mortal master ever again. Image credit: Prado Museum, Madrid (Public domain).

Quote of the day, 31 July: St. Teresa of Avila

Saint Francis Borgia visits Avila

A college of the Society of Jesus had been started in Avila. Teresa, who had the greatest admiration for the new order, heard this with joy, but up to now had not dared to speak with one of the greatly renowned fathers.

Now she took refuge in them, and this was her deliverance. Fr. Juan de Prádanos completely reassured her about the origin of her mystical states and advised her to continue on this path. He only found it necessary that she make herself worthy of the favors by strict mortifications.

As she said, “mortification” was at that time a word virtually unknown to her. But with her characteristic decisiveness, she took up the suggestion and began to accustom herself to severe penances.

Recognizing that her weak health would not be able to stand such a severe life, P. Prádanos easily helped her with this. “Without doubt, my daughter,” he said, “God sends you so many illnesses in order to make up for those mortifications that you do not practice. So do not be afraid. Your mortifications cannot hurt you” [see L, 24, 6]. And in fact, Teresa’s health improved because of this new lifestyle.

St. Francis Borgia visited the Jesuit college, and to get his evaluation, Fr. Prádanos asked him to speak with Teresa. She herself writes about this:

At that time Father Francis [St. Francis Borgia] came to this place. He had been the Duke of Gandía, and some years before had given up all and entered the Society of Jesus…. Well, after he had heard me, he told me that my experience was from the Spirit of God and that it seemed to him it would no longer be good to resist, but that up to this time it had been all right, and that I should always begin prayer with an event from the Passion, but that if afterward the Lord should carry away the spirit I ought not resist Him but let His Majesty bear it away—and not strive to do so myself. As one who was well advanced, he gave the medicine and the counsel, for experience in this matter is very important. He said it would be a mistake to resist any longer (Life 24:3).

Saint Edith Stein

Love For Love, 10. New Tests

Teresa of Avila, St. 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K; Rodriguez, O, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Stein, E. 2014, The Hidden Life: hagiographic essays, meditations, spiritual texts, translated from the German by Stein, W, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Detail of Santa Teresa de Jesús consulta a san Francisco de Borja by José Segrelles, 1956, oil on canvas, altarpiece of the Sagrario chapel, Ducal Palace of Gandía, Valencia. Image credit: delaruecaalapluma.com

#Jesuits #mysticalExperience #spiritualDirection #StFrancisBorgia #StTeresaOfAvila

The Lord almost always showed Himself to me as risen, also when He appeared in the Host—except at times when He showed me His wounds in order to encourage me when I was suffering tribulation.

Sometimes He appeared on the cross or in the garden, and a few times with the crown of thorns; sometimes He also appeared carrying the cross on account, as I say, of my needs and those of others. But His body was always glorified.

I suffered numerous affronts and trials in speaking about these visions, and very many persecutions. It seemed so certain to them that I had a devil that some persons wanted to exorcise me. This didn’t matter much to me; but I grieved when I saw that my confessors were afraid to hear my confession or when I learned that others said something to them.

Nonetheless, I was never able to regret having seen these heavenly visions, and I would not exchange even one for all the goods and delights of the world. I have always considered a vision a great favor from the Lord. It seems to me to be a most rich treasure, and the Lord Himself assured me of this many times.

I saw that I was increasing very much in His love. I went to Him to complain about all these trials, and I always came away from prayer consoled and with new strength.

Saint Teresa of Avila

The Book of Her Life, chap. 29, no. 4

Teresa of Avila, St. 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K; Rodriguez, O, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: There aren’t many images of the meeting between St. Teresa of Avila and St. Francis Borgia, the former Duke of Gandia, but an artist from Valencia, José Segrelles, captured the scene in a 1956 painting for the altarpiece of the Blessed Sacrament chapel in the ducal palace of Gandia. We present a detail of that artwork. Strangely, Teresa appears to be writing during the encounter, as if she was capturing what St. Francis Borgia was saying; he is seated on the cathedra granted to him by the spiritual authority that Teresa recognized. Editor and translator Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D. states that it is believed that Borgia first met Teresa during the summer of 1555. Teresa says that she met him twice in the account of her spiritual life that she wrote for the Inquisitor of Seville in 1576 (cf. Spiritual Testimonies, 58). Image credit: Teresa, de la rueca a la pluma blog (Rights unknown)

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/04/03/stj-life29n4/

#glory #JesusChrist #mysticalExperience #persecution #resurrection #SacredHost #StFrancisBorgia #StTeresaOfAvila #visions