St. Teresa of Avila

Teresa of Avila was born Teresa Ali Fatim Corella Sanchez de Capeda y Ahumada in Avila, Spain. Less than twenty years before Teresa was born in 1515, Columbus opened up the Western Hemisphere to European colonization. Two years after she was born, Luther started the Protestant Reformation. Out of all of this change came Teresa pointing the way from outer turmoil to inner peace. Teresa's father was rigidly honest and pious, but he may have carried his strictness to extremes. Teresa's mother loved romance novels but because her husband objected to these fanciful books, she hid the books from him. This put Teresa in the middle -- especially since she liked the romances too. Her father told her never to lie but her mother told her not to tell her father. Later she said she was always afraid that no matter what she did she was going to do everything wrong.

When she was seven-years-old, she convinced her older brother that they should "go off to the land of the Moors and beg them, out of love of God, to cut off our heads there." They got as far as the road from the city before an uncle found them and brought them back. After this incident she led a fairly ordinary life, though she was convinced that she was a horrible sinner. As a teenager, she cared only about boys, clothes, flirting, and rebelling. When she was 16, her father decided she was out of control and sent her to a convent. At first she hated it but eventually she began to enjoy it -- partly because of her growing love for God, and partly because the convent was a lot less strict than her father.

Once installed at the Carmelite convent permanently, she started to learn and practice mental prayer, in which she "tried as hard as I could to keep Jesus Christ present within me....My imagination is so dull that I had no talent for imagining or coming up with great theological thoughts." Teresa prayed this way off and on for eighteen years without feeling that she was getting results. Part of the reason for her trouble was that the convent was not the safe place she assumed it would be. Many women who had no place else to go wound up at the convent, whether they had vocations or not. They were encouraged to stay away from the convents for long period of time to cut down on expenses. Nuns would arrange their veils attractively and wear jewelry. Prestige depended not on piety but on money.

Then Teresa fell ill with malaria. When she had a seizure, people were so sure she was dead that after she woke up four days later she learned they had dug a grave for her. Afterwards she was paralyzed for three years and was never completely well. Yet instead of helping her spiritually, her sickness became an excuse to stop her prayer completely. For years she hardly prayed at all "under the guise of humility." She thought as a wicked sinner she didn't deserve to get favors from God. But turning away from prayer was like "a baby turning from its mother's breasts, what can be expected but death?"

When she was 41, a priest convinced her to go back to her prayer, but she still found it difficult. Yet her experience gives us wonderful descriptions of mental prayer: "For mental prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us. The important thing is not to think much but to love much and so do that which best stirs you to love. Love is not great delight but desire to please God in everything." At the age of 43, she became determined to found a new convent that went back to the basics of a contemplative order: a simple life of poverty devoted to prayer. She braved burning sun, ice and snow, thieves, and rat-infested inns to found more convents. She died on October 4, 1582, at the age of 67. She is the founder of the Discalced Carmelites and was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1970 for her writing and teaching on prayer.

Liturgical Celebration

The feast of St. Teresa of Avila is celebrated on October 15th, the traditional date commemorating her death in 1582. This feast is celebrated as a memorial in the Roman Catholic Church, and it is a particularly important day for Carmelites and those devoted to contemplative prayer. The feast falls during the autumn season, a time of harvest and reflection, which is fitting for a saint whose life was dedicated to harvesting the fruits of prayer and contemplation. St. Teresa's feast day is also celebrated by the Discalced Carmelites as a solemnity.

Traditions and Customs

On St. Teresa's feast day, many people participate in special devotions and prayers to seek her intercession for spiritual growth and guidance in prayer. Churches often hold special Masses and prayer services focused on contemplative prayer. Many people read her writings, particularly "The Interior Castle" or "The Way of Perfection," as a way to honor her memory and learn from her wisdom. The day is marked by prayers for the gift of prayer itself, for spiritual direction, and for the courage to persevere in the spiritual life despite difficulties.

Prayer and Devotion

The feast day is an excellent time to pray for the gift of prayer, for spiritual guidance, and for the courage to reform one's life according to God's will. Many people make special petitions for help in developing a deeper prayer life or for the grace to persevere in difficult spiritual circumstances. The day is also a time to reflect on St. Teresa's example of courage, perseverance, and trust in God. St. Teresa's feast day encourages us to seek God in prayer and to trust that He will guide us through the difficulties of life.