Saint Teresa of Avila - October 15

Doctor of the church

St Teresa was born in Avila in Spain and entered the Carmelite Convent at the age of 20. At the time she entered the Convent, the Carmelite orders were an attractive choice as they provided many comforts for its members and it did not require the same amount of sacrifice as other orders. As she progressed in religious life, Teresa made greatprogress in contemplative prayer and has a number of mystical experiences. These experiences she treated with suspicion as she considered herself not holy enough to have such a connection with God.

In 1562 in the face of great opposition, Teresa founded the Order of Discalced Carmelites, a reformed order of Carmelite spirituality which aimed to shed the comforts that came with the order. There were many attempts to stop the progression of her order including some of her followed (namely St John of the Cross) to be imprisoned.
In 1580 the order was made official and St Teresa found many more convents, she died worn out by her efforts on 15 October 1582. Through all the trials and tribulations, Teresa remained steadfast in faith and prayer. She remains for us an outstanding example of how the contemplative life can well up and overflow into action.

Her writings on contemplative prayer (The Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle) remain for the Church a benchmark in the area of contemplation and prayer. She was declared Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970

“Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing make you afraid. All things are passing. God alone never changes. Patience gains all things. If you have God you will want for nothing. God alone suffices.” St Teresa of Avila