Saint Teresa of Jesus (of Avila)
Founder, Doctor of the Church
Other Celebrations for this Day:
Introduction
St Teresa of Jesus (of Avila) had to grow from a lukewarm Carmelite nun into a fervent one. In The Interior Castle, she describes her mystic experience of deep union with the Lord. God is felt with a quiet, mystic feeling as living in one’s deepest castle. Notwithstanding much opposition, Teresa reformed her Carmel and much of the Carmelite order on the basis of a life of deep prayer and a profound sense of community. Because of her writings about mysticism she became the first woman to be a doctor of the Church.
Opening Prayer
Our living and loving God,
St. Teresa of Jesus was deeply aware
how much you live in the deepest of ourselves.
May Teresa help us to live Jesus’ life
as living branches attached to the vine,
who bear plenty of fruit
of justice, goodness and love.
Let our union with Jesus become visible
in our openness to one another
and in a deep sense of prayer.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
[For the readings, please refer to the liturgy of the day in Ordinary Time]
Prayers of the Faithful
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God, center of our lives,
you planted your Son among us
as the true, life-giving vine.
Let him give himself to us
as our bread of strength
and pour himself for us
as the vigorous, unifying vine,
that he may live in us and we in him
and that we can do all things in him,
For he is our lord for ever.
Prayer after Communion
God, core of our life,
we thank you for filling us
with the sap of life of Jesus, our true vine.
May we go on living in deep union
with him and with one another,
that in the uncertainties of life
we may go on believing, hoping
and building together a kingdom of love.
And when we go again selfish ways,
use your pruning knife
to purify our faith and love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
REFLECTIONS
St. Teresa of Avila was born in 1515 in Avila, Spain. She entered the Carmelite Convent at the age of 20 and lived as a contemplative nun for 17 years. At age 38, she underwent a spiritual transformation and dedicated the next 20 years to reforming the Carmelite Order and founding 18 new monasteries for women. In 1970, Pope Paul VI declared her the first woman Doctor of the Church.
When St. Teresa initiated the Carmelite reform, she emphasised the importance of three virtues within her communities: love for others, detachment from worldly possessions, and humility. She considered humility the most crucial virtue because it formed the foundation for the other two. Teresa believed that detachment and humility were closely linked, referring to them as "two inseparable sisters" that are always intertwined.