S. Teresa Brichtová, O.P.
Marcelle Auclaire, Biography of Teresa of Ávila.
Carmelite Publishing, Kostelní Vydří 2000, 455 pages.
"God's wanderer." This is how Pope John Paul II referred to St. Teresa of Ávila during his visit to Spain in 1982.
We now have the opportunity for a Czech edition of her biography by Marcelle Auclaire, which has already been translated into several languages and has received the highest recognition from leading figures in world literature.
How does this book differ from the actual biography of St. Teresa, published in 1991 by the Vimperk Printing House? The author presents us with a portrait of Spain in the 16th century, during the time of great overseas conquests, and especially the situation a hundred years after the discovery of America, which had a profound impact on the entire economic, cultural, and religious life of the conquerors' country. Based on reliable historical sources (the book is equipped with numerous notes and references), the writer depicts the inner development of a beautiful and clever girl who "bewildered everyone who approached her," into an extraordinary woman, a great reformer who, under circumstances that were utterly unfavorable to the public assertion of the female element, managed to influence the whole Spanish society and gain authority in both ecclesiastical and secular circles.
Her authority was primarily the authority of a saint, who evidently drew from a deep union with Christ, directing every step according to his guidance and, at his slightest prompt, maximizing her frail strength for the realization of her order's reform and the establishment of convents.
Marcelle Auclaire's book reads like an exciting novel, yet all the writings of the Spanish mystic, including her extensive correspondence, are masterfully embedded within it. We can see the framework and circumstances in which they were created. We are moved when we see her writing late into the night on a stone pedestal, sitting on the ground, in the light of a flickering lamp, works that have survived the ages! (What will be the longevity of our literary creations produced on computers under fluorescent lights and with all possible modern technology?) We are equally touched when we read that even after a hard-won victory – the division of barefoot and unreformed Carmelites into two separate provinces – Mother often had to face misunderstanding from those she had raised, as well as concessions from her ideals at the end of her life. How deeply it must have affected her when, for instance, the prioress at the Valladolid convent said to her upon parting: "Go! And don’t come back!" Or when, after an exhausting journey in Medina del Campo, the prioress didn’t even invite her to a meal in the refectory. Perhaps such moments were the culmination of her thorny path, the price her maternal heart paid for the success of her life’s work!
In addition to the "Founding Mother," this book also excellently depicts and characterizes other figures inseparably connected with her life and work: St. John of the Cross, Jerome Gracian of Our Lady, etc. The relationship between the Mystical Teacher and Teresa is particularly interesting and deserves special discussion. From a psychological perspective, it is a beautiful example of the most noble sublimation of human emotions!
The Czech reader may be somewhat disturbed by the inflection of proper names. The author inconsistently presents personal names both in their original form and in French, and we have tried to maintain this method in the translation. This results in odd forms when inflected – Franciscovi, Dona Lorenza, etc. It might have been better to Czechify the proper names. Also, the quotes from Czech translations of Teresa’s works, published years ago, sometimes appear outdated.
Nevertheless, the book features an engaging, vivid style that is certainly on par with the lively and distinctive style of the church's own teacher. Thus, it is a work highly suitable for both education and pleasant refreshment.
