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Friends of the Rosary:
Today, the Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Teresa of Avila, also known as Teresa of Jesus, a sixteenth-century Spanish mystic.
Together with her close collaborator, the priest and writer later canonized as Saint John of the Cross, she founded the Order of Discalced Carmelites – “discalced,” meaning barefoot, symbolizing a life of poverty, contemplation, and simplicity. The reform met with fierce opposition but resulted in the founding of 30 monasteries during her life.
Her most well-known works include “The Interior Castle” and “The Way of Perfection,” both of which are classics of Christian spirituality. In her writings, she focused on the importance of prayer, contemplation, and the mystical experience of God.
As a child, Teresa felt captivated by the thought of eternity and the vision of God granted to the saints in heaven.
Teresa had always been accustomed to contemplate Christ’s presence within her after receiving him in the sacrament of Holy Communion.
Teresa had always poor health. She accepted her dramatic final illness as God’s chosen means of calling her into his presence forever.
“O my Lord, and my spouse, the desired hour is now come,” she stated. “The hour is at last come, wherein I shall pass out of this exile, and my soul shall enjoy in thy company what it hath so earnestly longed for.”
St. Teresa of Avila died on Oct. 15, 1582. She was canonized in 1622, along with three of her greatest contemporaries: St. Ignatius Loyola, St. Francis Xavier, and St. Philip Neri.
In 1970, Pope St. Paul VI proclaimed St. Teresa as one of the first two woman Doctors of the Church, along with 14th-century Dominican St. Catherine of Siena.
Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!
St. Teresa of Avila, Pray for Us!
To Jesus through Mary!
+ Mikel A. | RosaryNetwork.com, New York
