Audifilia

Audifilia (Listen, Daughter) is St. John of Avila's extended manual of spiritual direction, originally addressed to a young noblewoman and developed over years, including work begun while he was imprisoned by the Inquisition.

The work combines moral instruction, mystical theology, and pastoral advice, guiding readers through prayer, virtue, and progress in the spiritual life.

It reflects his practical, pastoral approach and concern for both ordinary Christians and those called to deeper interior paths.

Audifilia influenced later Spanish mystics and remains a key text for understanding sixteenth-century Catholic reform and spiritual formation.

The treatise emphasizes humility, confession, sacramental life, and submission to God's will.