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St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582): Cross
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Flame of Love is a selection of poems by St. John of the Cross (1542-1591) and St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582). It is actually a bilingual text, with each page of English translation facing each page of the original Spanish text of the poem. Thoughtfully translated and beautifully laid out by Loren G. Smith, the book is a selection of fourteen poems of John of the Cross and thrity-one poems of Teresa of Avila. As the author notes, "The objective in preparing these English versions has been to provide the most accurate possible translation while retaining the original rhyming schemes and utilizing meters as close to the original as possible. Preserving the meaning of the poems has been given priority over aesthetic considerations" (xvi). The English translation is beautiful and, as a person with a background in French rather than Spanish, I ... found that though I could not understand the Spanish, reading through the poems in their original Spanish had a certain beeauty and rhythm that was pleasant and prayerful.
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In the 16th century in Spain, St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) renewed the Carmelite Order. With St. John of the Cross (1542-1591), she strengthened the Order’s commitment to follow Christ through an intense life of prayer for the good of all the Church. They and their spiritual descendants were known as the Discalced—or reformed—Carmelites.
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The expression “Dark night of the soul” originates from St. John of the Cross, a mystic born in 1547 (died 1591), who was heavily influenced by St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582). John of the Cross is perhaps best known for his work, “Dark Night of the Soul”, which is really the second part of his “Ascent of Mount Carmel.” In the “Dark Night of the Soul”, John of the Cross describes the process of spiritual and sensual purging (cleansing), necessary for union with God, which he described in terms of marriage in his “The Living Flame of Love.”
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Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross are studied by a Buddhist/Christian cult which considers them to be a prophet and prophetess. The cult ... studies the Kabbala (Cabala). [Note 17] (The Cabala is important to occultists.) So evidently pagans can identify with the mystical experiences and writings of Teresa and John.
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One cannot discuss St. Teresa of Avila without thinking of her great collaborator, St. John of the Cross. They are so closely related in their life and work and doctrine that they are the two pillars on which is constructed the Carmelite school of spirituality. St. John of the Cross (1542-1591) is not as widely known and read as he deserves, and there are several reasons for this: he wrote primarily for souls that are already advanced on the path of perfection; his teaching on detachment and purgation is too demanding for some Christians; his language is often too subtle and metaphysical to suit the taste of modern readers. Yet, his writings and those of St. Teresa complement each other so perfectly that one of the best ways to understand either one is to study the works of the other. There is, of course, a noticeable difference between them but it is a difference of approach rather than essentials.
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