The Spirit of Saint Teresa contains a compilation of a few lesser-known works of the great Doctor of Prayer.
First, the Exclamations of the Soul to God were written by St. Teresa in the year 1579. They are the outpourings of her soul before God after Holy Communion.
Second, the Directions on Prayer and on the Life of Prayer have been extracted chiefly from a volume published in 1775 by the Superior of St. Sulpice, who selected passages from the various writings of the Saint which, although directly addressed to religious, convey a practical lesson to all who aim at leading a life of close union with God.
Finally, the Novena Preparatory to the Feasts of St. Teresa is written by an unknown hand. Its dedication to Madame Louise de France, Novice Carmélite, fixes as its date the year 1770, when the daughter of Louis XV left his court for the solitude of Carmel, and received her father’s conversion as her reward.
