Life of St Teresa of Jesus | Page 6

"This book was finished in June, 1562," and Father Bañez wrote
underneath: "This date refers to the first account which the Holy
Mother Teresa of Jesus wrote of her life; it was not then divided into
chapters. Afterwards she made this copy and inserted in it many things
which had taken place subsequent to this date, such as the foundation
of the monastery of St. Joseph of Avila." Elsewhere Father Bañez says:
[14] "Of one of her books, namely, the one in which she recorded her
life and the manner of prayer whereby God had led her, I can say that
she composed it to the end that her confessors might know her the
better and instruct her, and also that it might encourage and animate
those who learn from it the great mercy God had shown her, a great
sinner as she humbly acknowledged herself to be. This book was

already written when I made her acquaintance, her previous confessors
having given her permission to that effect. Among these was a
licentiate of the Dominican Order, the Reverend Father Pedro Ibañez,
reader of Divinity at Avila. She afterwards completed and recast this
book." These two passages of Bañez have led the biographers of the
Saint to think that she wrote her Life twice, first in 1561 and the
following year, completing it in the house of Doña Luisa de la Cerda at
Toledo, in the month of June; and secondly between 1563 and 1565 at
St. Joseph's Convent of Avila. They have been at pains to point out a
number of places which could not have been in the "first" Life, but
must have been added in the second; [15] and they took it for granted
that the letter with which the book as we now have it concludes, was
addressed to Father Ibañez in 1562, when the Saint sent him the "first"
Life. It bears neither address nor date, but from its contents I am bound
to conclude that it was written in 1565, that it refers to the "second"
Life, and that whomsoever it was addressed to, it cannot have been to
Father Ibañez, who was already dead at the time. [16] Saint Teresa asks
the writer to send a copy of the book to Father Juan de Avila. Now we
know from her letters that as late as 1568 this request had not been
complied with, and that St. Teresa had to write twice to Doña Luisa for
this purpose; [17] but if she had already given these instructions in
1562, it is altogether incomprehensible that she did not see to it earlier,
especially when the "first" Life was returned to her for the purpose of
copying and completing it. The second reason which prevents me from
considering this letter as connected with the "first" Life will be
examined when I come to speak of the different ends the Saint had in
view when writing her Life. It is more difficult to say to whom the
letter was really addressed. The Reforma suggests Father Garcia de
Toledo, Dominican, who bade the Saint write the history of the
foundation of St. Joseph's at Avila [18] and who was her confessor at
that convent. It moreover believes that he it is to whom
Chapter XXXIV.
§§ 8-20 refers, and this opinion appears to me plausible. As to the latter
point, Yepes thinks the Dominican at Toledo was Father Vicente
Barron, the Bollandists offer no opinion, and Mr. Lewis, in his first
edition gives first the one and then the other. If, as I think, Father

Garcia was meant, the passage in
Chapter XVI.
§ 10, beginning "O, my son," would concern him also, as well as
several passages where Vuestra Merced--you, my Father--is addressed.
For although the book came finally into the hands of Father Bañez, it
was first delivered into those of the addressee of the letter.
Whether the previous paper was a mere "Relation," or really a first
attempt at a "Life," [19] there can be no dispute about its purpose: St.
Teresa speaks of it in the following terms: "I had recourse to my
Dominican father (Ibañez); I told him all about my visions, my way of
prayer, the great graces our Lord had given me, as clearly as I could,
and begged him to consider the matter well, and tell me if there was
anything therein at variance with the Holy Writings, and give me his
opinion on the whole matter." [20] The account thus rendered had the
object of enabling Father Ibañez to give her light upon the state of her
soul. But while she was drawing it up, a great change came over her.
During St. Teresa's sojourn at Toledo she became from a pupil an
experienced master in Mystical knowledge. "When I was