1. Teresa of Avila Images of Self and God Janet K. Ruffing, RSM July 2009
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
Notes de l'éditeur
The Lord desired to show me only his hands which were so very beautiful… After a few days, I saw also that divine face which it seems left me completely absorbed. Since afterward he granted me the favor of seeing him entirely, I couldn’t understand why the Lord showed himself to me…little by little until later I understood that his Majesty was leading me in accordance with my natural weakness.” Life28.1 I saw close to me…an angel in bodily form…very beautiful, and his face was so aflame that he seemed to be one of those very sublime angels that appear to be all afire. I saw in his hands a large golden dart at the end of the iron tip there appeared to be a little fire. It seemed to me this angel plunged the dart several times into my heart and that it reached deep within me. When he drew it out, I thought he was carrying ooff the deepest part of me; and he left me all on fire with great love of God.Life 29.13,10
“ Teresa deeply envied male priests, who did not have to suffer, as she did, the bonds of misogynism, lack of formal education, and disqualification from office that kept her from achieving her goals.” Jodi Blinkinhoff. The God of chivalric deeds Teresa summons is one who will permit her to carry out her own chivalirc deeds, which she defines here and elsewhere as “bringing souls to God’ through preaching and teaching.” Carole Slade 311
