Having the permission of these two
provincials, I now figured that nothing was lacking. We arranged that Father
Fray John of the Cross would go to the house and get it ready so that, in spite
of all, it could be lived in. For me, what was most urgent was that the friars
begin, for I was very fearful lest some obstacle would come along our path. And
this they did. Father Fray Antonio had already gathered some of the things
necessary. Insofar as we could, we helped him; although our help amounted to
little. He came to Valladolid with great happiness to speak to me and told me
what he had collected, which was very little. It was only with clocks that he
was well provided, for he had five of them; this greatly amused me. He told me
they were meant as a help to follow the daily schedule, which he wanted well
fixed; I don't think he even had any bed yet to sleep in.
On the First or Second Sunday of Advent
(I don't remember which of these Sundays it was), in the year 1568, the first
Mass was said in that little stable of Bethlehem, for it doesn't seem to me the
house was any better (It was the First Sunday of Advent, November 28, 1568)...
When I entered the little church, I was astonished to
see the spirit the Lord had put there. And it wasn't only I, for the two
merchants, my friends from Medina who had accompanied me there, did nothing
else but weep. There were so many crosses, so many skulls! I never forget a
little cross made for the holy water fount from sticks with a paper image of
Christ attached to it; it inspired more devotion than if it had been something
very expertly carved….The choir was in the loft. In the middle of the loft the
ceiling was high enough to allow for the recitation of the Hours, but one had
to stoop low in order to enter and to hear Mass. There were in the two corners
facing the church two little hermitages, where one could do no more than either
lie down or sit. Both were filled with hay because the place was very cold, and
the roof almost touched one's head. Each had a little window facing the altar
and a stone for a pillow; and there, too, the crosses and skulls. I learned
that after the friars finished Matins they did not leave the choir before Prime
but remained there in prayer, for their prayer was so deep that when it came
time to say Prime their habits were covered with snow without their having
become aware of the fact. The two Fathers recited the Hours with another Father
from among those of the cloth who went to stay with them (although he didn't
change his habit because he was very sickly) and another young, unordained
brother who was also there. These
two were Father Lucas de Celis and Brother José de Cristo, a deacon. (St Teresa - Book of Foundation, Ch 4)
Book of Foundation audio by LibriVox HEREMap Of St Teresa foundations in Spain HERE
Picture after 'Rumbo al V centenario Teresiano'
Map after this blog
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