On 15 October, the Church commemorates St Teresa of Avila, Virgin and Doctor of the Church. She laboured together with St John of the Cross in reforming the Carmelite Order, which led to the founding of the Discalced Carmelite Order, also known as the Teresians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Born in the Spanish city of Avila in 1515, she had flowing in her veins the blood of the warrior women of this city. Approximately two centuries before her birth, when Avila was threatened by the attacking Moors, the city\u2019s soldiers advanced with the aim of keeping the enemy army away from the city. But the enemy was waiting for this occasion in order to attack the city when there was no one to defend it. When faced with this threat, Jimena Blazquez, the mayor\u2019s wife, organised the women of the city, and, dressed in armour, they all went and stood on the bastions of the city. In this way they managed to deceive the enemy who thought that the city still had enough soldiers to defend it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This spirit of a warrior is reflected in her writings, as well as in the courage she displayed when confronted by obstacles in her holy pursuit to reawaken the spirit of Elijah in the Carmelite Order. Even her imagery of the interior castle mirrors the city of Avila, which no one was able to lay siege to or capture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What characterises this treasury of wisdom and prayer, is a bookmark found in her prayer book after her death in 1582. On it was written a meditation about trust in God, which reads as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away.
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
We can say that within these few verses, we find what forms the heart of this warrior who recognised that, without her beloved, she could not engage in any battle. She was able to arrive at this strength and courage because she recognised that her refuge was in God who alone suffices. This certainty resembles the powerful declaration made by Christ in his eschatological discourse: \u201cHeaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away\u201d (Mt 24:35).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a letter sent to the Bishop of Avila, on the occasion of the 450th anniversary of the beginning of the Teresian reform, Pope Benedict XVI makes an invitation that is also relevant to us, for all times and in all circumstances:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following in the footsteps of Teresa of Jesus, allow me to say to all who have their future before them: may you too, aspire to belong totally to Jesus, only to Jesus and always to Jesus. Do not be afraid to say to Our Lord, as she did, \u201cI am yours; I was born for you, what do you want to do with me?\u201d (Poem 2). And I ask him to obtain that you may also be able to respond to his call, illuminated by divine grace with \u201cdetermined resolve\u201d in order to offer \u201cthat little\u201d which is in you, trusting in the fact that God never abandons those who leave everything for his glory (see The Way of Perfection<\/em> 21, 2; 1, 2).<\/p>Benedict XVI, Letter to the Bishop of Avila on the occasion of the 450th year since the foundation of the Monastery of St Joseph in Avila and the beginning of the Carmelite reform (16 July 2012), par. 5.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On 15 October, the Church commemorates St Teresa of Avila, Virgin and Doctor of the Church. She laboured together with St John of the Cross in reforming the Carmelite Order, which led to the founding of the Discalced Carmelite Order, also known as the Teresians.<\/p>\n
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