Wisdom From the Last Letters of
St. Teresa of Avila
Joel Giallanza, CSC
Brother Joel (picture shown below) is a member of the Congregation of the Holy Cross and is a staff member at the Catholic Church of Central Texas in the Diocese of Austin.
Less than two months before her death, St. Teresa of Avila wrote to Mother Tomasina Bautista, the prioress in the new foundation in Burgos, about several matters that were related to the care of the sisters and the good management of the monastery. She had written to her about such matters before. While Tomasina had Teresa's respect and trust, she would occasionally make decisions without all the necessary information and forethought. In this last letter to her, Teresa writes, "even though you may have an advantage over me in virtue, I have more experience. As a result, some of the things I pointed out, I would not want you to forget ... I would want you to realize that they are not said without reason" (Let. 464). "I have more experience." Those four words reflect a truth that is applicable to much of St. Teresa's life, but they apply especially to the last three or four years before her death. Even though this is late in her life, she was not at rest. Most of her foundations were already begun and the writing of her major works was mostly complete, still there was much to do.
From 1578 to 1582, she was incredibly busy with family matters and community business. On the family front, after the death of her brother, Lorenzo, there were various complications she had to address as executor of his will. And the expectations and machinations of some relatives and in-laws regarding the money involved caused regular concerns. For the Carmelite community, besides her work of maintaining the existing foundations, she began several new monasteries and continued to explore possibilities for others as opportunities arose. Of particular interest and importance to her were the negotiations to establish a separate province for the Discalced. And all this was only a part of her preoccupations. Her superiors would regularly ask her to make a special trip or to address personally a pressing issue. In the midst of it all, she continued her extensive correspondence to community members, family, friends, and a host of important and influential people. Of course, there is even more that kept St. Teresa busy; but the details go beyond the scope of these reflections. During those years, Teresa was more than sixty years old and her health was declining. Yet she continued what she had to do with her customary energy and integrity. She did indeed "have more experience."
Teresa's correspondence during the last four years of her life provides us with an open window to that experience. It is often expressed as a practical wisdom that transcends the context in which it was first articulated. As always, this Doctor of the Church has much to teach us about the spiritual and daily life. These present reflections will offer but a sampling of the wise and practical insights that St. Teresa communicated in the final years of her correspondence.
"The wiser thing to do"
It is something of an understatement to say that Teresa wanted to get things done as quickly as possible. With all the civil, political, and ecclesiastical strings tied to the negotiations for her foundations, her expectations were sometimes overwhelmed by frustrations. That was especially true when others were slow in acting on something they had promised to do. When confronted with a series of delays in sending representatives to negotiate for a separate Discalced province, she wrote to Father Gracián: "Time is passing without anyone being sent to Rome. And we are all lost with hopes that will go on a thousand years. I don't understand what's going on" (Let. 247). From her perspective, hopes that are acted upon will bear fruit; otherwise they will remain unfulfilled for a millennium and beyond. Teresa was well aware of the complications involved and that there were a multitude of things to be accomplished. Some of her associates were tempted to hesitate. Her response is uncompromising: "Diligent efforts are never wrong just because they are many" (ibid.). Later on, she reiterates this same sentiment to Gracián, urging him to move forward with the necessary decisions, for the simple reason, "if we don't begin, nothing will get done" (Let. 266).
Even in her eagerness, however, St. Teresa did not neglect prudence and patience. After hearing of an unsuccessful meeting of the Discalced friars, she wrote to a lay friend and collaborator who kept her informed of events and provided various services for her. This friend wanted to speak out in support and defense of the friars who had been penalized for holding the meeting. She responded that, because the situation was so tense, "one should remain silent until it is seen more clearly what the wiser thing to do might be" (Let. 273). However rapidly and smoothly she may have preferred events to unfold, Teresa cautioned others not to presume that they had all the necessary information or could see every aspect of the situation. Later in the same letter, she wrote that the friars should "have patience until God provides a remedy" (ibid.).
Whether we are considering the finer points of the spiritual life or dealing with the complexities of everyday responsibilities, St. Teresa encourages us to continue moving onward. To delay holds the potential of not responding to the graces that God makes available to us. And yet, Teresa does not condone recklessness. The corrective between hesitation and haste is to make decisions with discernment and take actions with attentiveness. Such discernment and attentiveness will try to obtain whatever is necessary for us to have the best possible understanding of all that is involved in making a particular decision or taking a specific action. Discernment and attentiveness provide us with a way of always seeking "the wiser thing to do."
(Note: If you want to read the entire article on "I Have More Experience – Wisdom From the Last Letters of St. Teresa of Avila," you may do so by ordering a copy of the Summer 2008 Issue of Carmelite Digest – see below.)
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