Memorial of St. Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Christ has no body now but mine. He prays in me, works in me, looks through my eyes, speaks through my words, works through my hands, walks with my feet and loves with me here.
—St. Teresa of Avila
Today is the Memorial of St. Teresa of Avila, OCD (also called Saint Teresa of Jesus) who was a Carmelite nun and prominent Spanish mystic and religious reformer. Her teachings and writings are considered so particularly important that she was named the first female Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970. She wrote four books including an autobiography—Story of a Soul, The Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection. These have many practical examples about the life of prayer and its stages. Her quote (above) is a reminder to all of us of the transformative journey we are each called to take, becoming one with God, and knowing Jesus is relying on us to be his presence through all we are and do.
Teresa was known to be at times charming, irreverent and impossible depending on the situation. There are anecdotal stories that are particularly striking to me as resonating with the message of today’s Gospel—where we’re called to focus on our inner life and not mere externals. A friend visiting her at the convent offered the gift of a partridge (a delicacy at the time). As Teresa was preparing it, someone asked her whether it was proper that someone who had taken a vow of poverty should indulge in such a delicious treat. Teresa responded: “There is a time for penance, and a time for partridge.” Such a balanced perspective and a good sense of humor characterized her. She left another famous quote as an important reminder to maintain our peace and joy in our journeys of faith, “God save us from gloomy saints!” May we be inspired to enjoy the gifts of all of Creation as we bring Christ’s Love to all through all we do and are.
—Sr. Leanne Jablonski, FMI