Table of Contents
|
Words
:
Alphabetical
-
Frequency
-
Inverse
-
Length
-
Statistics
|
Help
|
IntraText Library
St. Teresa of Avila
The Way of Perfection
IntraText CT - Text
The Way of Perfection
CHAPTER 14 - Treats of the great importance of not professing anyone whose spirit is contrary to the things aforementioned.
Previous
-
Next
Click here to hide the links to concordance
CHAPTER
14
-
Treats
of the
great
importance
of not
professing
anyone whose
spirit
is
contrary
to the
things
aforementioned
.
I
feel
sure
that the
Lord
bestows
great
help
on anyone who makes
good
resolutions
, and for that
reason
it is
necessary
to
enquire
into the
intentions
of anyone who
enters
[the
life
of
religion
]. She must not
come
, as many
nuns
now do,
simply
to further her own
interests
, although the
Lord
can
perfect
even this
intention
if she is a
person
of
intelligence
. If not
intelligent
, a
person
of this
kind
should on no
account
be
admitted
; for she will not
understand
her own
reasons
for
coming
, nor will she
understand
others who
attempt
subsequently
to
improve
her. For, in
general
, a
person
who has this
fault
always
thinks
she
knows
better
than the
wisest
what is
good
for her; and I
believe
this
evil
is
incurable
, for it is
rarely
unaccompanied
by
malice
. In a
convent
where there are a
great
many
nuns
it
may
be
tolerated
, but it cannot be
suffered
among a few.
When an
intelligent
person
begins
to
grow
fond
of what is
good
, she
clings
to it
manfully
, for she
sees
that it is the
best
thing
for her; this
course
may
not
bring
her
great
spirituality
but it will
help
her to
give
profitable
advice
, and to make herself
useful
in many
ways
, without
being
a
trouble
to
anybody
. But I do not
see
how a
person
lacking
in
intelligence
can be of any
use
in
community
life
, and she
may
do a
great
deal
of
harm
. This
defect
, like others, will not become
obvious
immediately
; for many
people
are
good
at
talking
and
bad
at
understanding
, while others
speak
in a
sharp
and none too
refined
a
tone
,
43
and yet they have
intelligence
and can do a
great
deal
of
good
. There are also
simple
,
holy
people
who are
quite
unversed
in
business
matters
and
worldly
conventions
but have
great
skill
in
converse
with
God
. Many
enquiries
, therefore, must be made before
novices
are
admitted
, and the
period
of
probation
before
profession
should be a
long
one. The
world
must
understand
once and for an that you are
free
to
send
them away again, as it is often
necessary
to do in a
convent
where the
life
is one of
austerity
; and then if you
use
this
right
no one will
take
offence
.
I
say
this because these
times
are so
unhappy
, and our
weakness
is so
great
, that we are not
content
to
follow
the
instructions
of our
predecessors
and
disregard
the
current
ideas
about
honour
,
lest
we should
give
offence
to the
novices
'
relatives
.
God
grant
that those of us who
admit
unsuitable
persons
may
not
pay
for it in the
world
to
come
! Such
persons
are never without a
pretext
for
persuading
us to
accept
them, though in a
matter
of such
importance
no
pretext
is
valid
. If the
superior
is
unaffected
by her
personal
likings
and
prejudices
, and
considers
what is for the
good
of the
house
, I do not
believe
God
will ever
allow
her to
go
astray
. But if she
considers
other
people
's
feelings
and
trivial
points
of
detail
, I
feel
sure
she will be
bound
to
err
.
This is something which everyone must
think
out for herself; she must
commend
it to
God
and
encourage
her
superior
when her
courage
fails
her, of such
great
importance
is it. So I
beg
God
to
give
you
light
about it. You do very well not to
accept
dowries
; for, if you were to
accept
them, it might
happen
that, in
order
not to have to
give
back
money
which you no
longer
possess
, you would
keep
a
thief
in the
house
who was
robbing
you of your
treasure
; and that would be no
small
pity
. So you must not
receive
dowries
from anyone, for to do so
may
be to
harm
the very
person
to whom you
desire
to
bring
profit
.
43
An
untranslatable
play
upon
words
:
corto
y
no
muy
cortado
-- as though "
sharpened
" could be used in the
sense
of "
refined
".
Previous
-
Next
Table of Contents
|
Words
:
Alphabetical
-
Frequency
-
Inverse
-
Length
-
Statistics
|
Help
|
IntraText Library
Best viewed with any browser at 800x600 or 768x1024 on Tablet PC
IntraText®
(V89) - Some rights reserved by
EuloTech SRL
- 1996-2007. Content in this page is licensed under a
Creative Commons License