Birthday of Juan Ines de la Cruz
Description:
By the age of 6 she had learned to write, sew and embroidery, which in those days constituted a complete education of a woman. By the age of eight, Juana had read her grandfather’s entire library, including works on philosophy, theology, and medicine.
At the age of 9, she broke up with her family: her mother sent her to Mexico City to visit her uncle and aunt, rich relatives who enter the palace of the Viceroy. Fortunately, they saw the girl’s abilities, giving Juana the opportunity to learn. The new self-education course included literature, natural sciences, mathematics, philosophy, theology and foreign languages. To all this, Juana grew up beautiful: light brown wide-set eyes, high forehead, straight nose, graceful hands, charming smile, lively and friendly character - all this could not but attract people to her.
In 1664, Juana was introduced to the new court and in the shortest time won such love of the high couple that the Vice-Queen made her her first lady-in-waiting. She held this position for about 5 years. At the same time, she became famous for writing poems in Spanish, the Aztec language, and also in Latin. She wrote for performances, for night concerts, for church holidays, and for funerals.
Juana had detractors. One day someone spread a rumor that her knowledge is superficial and she can only suggest that she has it. In order to refute such vainnesses, the Viceroy decided to organize a public examination in which Juan was asked questions in all branches of knowledge. But she brilliantly coped with the most tricky tasks.
As for her personal life, Juana had many fans, and almost all of them were serious contenders for her hand and heart. But Juana refused all applicants for her hand.
In August 1667, Juana made her first attempt to enter a monastery. But shortly before that, the reformed charter of the monastery of St. Joseph of the Order of Barefoot Carmelites was too harsh for a secular lady. She became seriously ill and at the insistence of doctors left the monastery three months later. Nevertheless, in February 1669, Juana entered the monastery of the Order of St. Jerome and after a short novice took tonsure under the name Juana Ines de la Cruz.
In 1690, Juana wrote a rebuttal to a sermon written by Jesuit monk Antonio Vieira. Quite unexpectedly, her private letter was published. The publication was a great success, but the church authorities in Mexico accused her of pride and neglect of the monastic commandment of obedience.
To restore her good name, Sister Juana writes and publishes the last and, perhaps, the most famous work - "An Answer to Sister Philothea", where she tried to show how necessary knowledge and creativity can be for a woman.
But her spiritual leaders insisted that Sister Juana take a vow of poverty. Along with a vow of poverty, she vowed not to touch pen and paper. Mexico City was so excited by her religious zeal that another archbishop, following her example, also sold all the books, as well as jewelry, antiques and even his own bed.
In 1695, an epidemic of plague began in the monastery, and while caring for her sisters, she contracted it herself. On April 17, Juana Ines de la Cruz passed away. True to her vow, she wrote a will on the wall of her cell with a finger drenched in her own blood: Here shall be marked the day, month and year of my death. In the name of the love of the Lord and His All-Pure Mother, I pray that my beloved sisters, both living and gone, remember me before Him, even though I was the worst woman in the world. Signed: I, Juana Ines de la Cruz.
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