Quote of the day, 25 June: St. Teresa of Avila

For Our Father Provincial.

Jesus.

The grace of the Holy Spirit be with your reverence, mi padre. I still do not have an answer to the letters I sent you with a private messenger, and I desire a response very much so as to know how your health is.

It has been somewhat comforting to me that so far we have had continually cold weather here. I hope that it will not be as hot down there as usual. May God do what he sees as necessary. I hold that it is taxing for you to be traveling about in this weather, so it would be a relief for us to have more frequent news of you.

I have a strong desire that you not delay there and that the thought not even enter your mind to go to Seville, whatever may be the need, for they are definitely undergoing a pestilence down there. For the love of our Lord, do not give in to the temptation to go and ruin us all, at least me. Although God gives you health, the danger you place your health in is enough to take mine away up here…

May God watch over you for me. I wouldn’t want to ever end this. My throat feels as usual, and no worse. Otherwise, I am fine and everything is going well, glory to God. Don’t let this sadden you, for because of what I owe His Majesty and the favors he grants me each day, it is good to suffer something.

Today is 25 June. Yesterday was the feast of St. John. The friends are well.

Your reverence’s servant and subject,

Teresa of Jesus

Saint Teresa of Avila

Letter 454 to Padre Jerónimo Gracián, La Roda (excerpts)
Burgos, 25 June 1582

You can learn more about the “pestilence” to which St. Teresa refers in our blog post, The Plague in Seville.

The Plague in Seville

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.