A golden treatise of mental prayer/A letter of the Blessed Father Fr. Peter de Alcantara, to the holy Mother Theresa of Jesus, who demanded his counsel, whether, she should found monasteries with rents or no
A LETTER
OF THE BLESSED FATHER FR. PETER DE ALCANTARA, TO THE HOLY MOTHER THERESA OF JESUS, WHO DEMANDED HIS COUNSEL, WHETHER SHE SHOULD FOUND MONASTERIES WITH RENTS OR NOT.
The Holy Ghost give you his grace and love, &c. I received yours, delivered me by Don Gonzales d'Aranda, and am amazed considering your zeal and piety: in committing to the direction of learned lawyers, that, which is noways their profession, or belonging unto them: you should do well to take their advice concerning the deciding of a process, or of suits in law, and temporal affairs, but in that which concerns perfection of life, we ought to treat only with those who practise the same. For such as the conscience of every one is, such are his exercises and works. Concerning the Evangelical counsels, may I demand whether they be observable or no? For that the counsels of God cannot be but good, neither can the observance thereof seem difficult, unless to those who govern themselves according to human prudence, having less confidence in God than they ought. For he who hath given the counsel, will consequently give force and means to accomplish the same. And if your zeal and fervor draw you to embrace the counsels of Jesus Christ, observe them with the greatest integrity and perfection that you possibly can, seeing they were equally given to both sexes. It cannot be, but the same merit and reward will be rendered unto you, as to others that have truly observed them. And if there be seen any want or necessity in the monasteries of poor religious women, it is because they are poor against their wills, and not through fault of their vow of poverty, or following of Evangelical counsels. For I account not much of their simple poverty, but of their patient sufferance of the same for the love of God. But I more esteem that poverty which is desired, procured, and embraced for the same love. And, if I should think, or determinately believe otherwise, I should not hold myself a good Catholic. I believe in this, and in all other things taught by our blessed Saviour, and that his counsels are good and profitable, as proceeding from God, and though they oblige not to sin, they bind, nevertheless, that man to be more perfect that followeth them, than if he had not undertaken them at ail. I hold them poor in spirit, who are poor in will, as our Saviour hath said, and myself proved; however, I believe more from God than of my own experience, that those, who by the grace of God are with all their hearts poor, lead a life most happy, as confiding, and hoping in him alone. His divine Majesty give you light to understand this truth, and to practise it. Believe not those that shall tell you the contrary, for want of light and understanding, or for not having tasted how sweet our Lord is to those that fear and love him, renouncing for his sake all unnecessary things of this world, for they are enemies of the cross of Christ, not believing the glory which accompanieth the same. I also pray our Lord to give you this light, that you be not wanting in the belief of this truth, so much manifested; and that you take not counsel, but of the followers of Jesus Christ; although others think it sufficient, if they observe the thing they are bound unto, yet they have not always greater virtue and perfection by their work. And though the counsel be good, yet that of our blessed Saviour is much better, who knows what he counsels, and gives grace to accomplish the same, and in the end reward to those who hope in him, and not in rents and goods of the earth.
From Avila, this 14th day of April, 1562.