Ten Lessons from St. Teresa of Avila
There are two weeks apart every year in the Church Liturgical Calendar that separate two marvelous, inspiring, and most lovable saints, who truly love us and want us to love them: Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and St. Theresa of Avila.

Saint Therese Lisieux we celebrate October 1st; Saint Teresa of Avila we celebrate October 15th.  What do they have in common? Both are women, both are in the class of the few women Doctors of the Church, both were great contemplatives, both were Carmelite nuns, but most important both were and are and will be for all eternity great lovers of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In this short essay we would like to pay tribute to Saint Teresa of Avila and highlight ten of her great contributions to the Catholic Church and to us as a model of holiness, that we are all called to attain.  Remember the words of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the context of the Sermon of the Mount: “Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.”(Mt. 5:48)

Being holy, arriving at sanctity of life, is not conditional, wishful thinking nor something that only a select group is called to, but all. Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta challenges us with these stirring words: “Holiness is not the privilege of the few, but the duty of all.” Now let us lift our gaze to Saint Teresa of Avila who will point us to Jesus, our Lord, God, Savior and Faithful Friend.



1. Prayer

One of the key hallmarks of the spiritual heights of Saint Teresa of Avila is the importance of prayer. Even though she struggled for many years she teaches us this basic but indispensable spiritual truth—Perseverance in prayer! Meditate upon her immortal words of wisdom and memorize: “We must have a determined determination to never give up prayer.”

Jesus taught us this supremely important truth in the Parable of the insistent Widow and the Judge.  This widow, due to her dogged and tenacious insistence finally gained the assistance of this cold-hearted Judge. (Lk. 18:1-8). St. Teresa insists that we must never give up in prayer. If you like an analogy: what air is to the lungs so is prayer to the soul. Healthy lungs need constant and pure air; healthy soul must be constantly breathing through prayer—the oxygen of the soul!

2. Definition of Prayer  

Saint Thomas Aquinas gives us simple but very solid advice: define your topic before you start to talk about it. By doing this you can avoid much confusion. Saint Teresa of Avila gives us one of the classical definitions of prayer in the history of Catholicism. “Prayer is nothing more than spending a long time alone with the one I know loves me.”

A short summary? Two friends love each other! Jesus Himself called the Apostles friends—so are you called to be a friend with Jesus!

3. Love for Jesus

Saint Teresa gives us a hint to prayer growth! This woman Doctor of the Church said that she found many graces by meditating upon the humanity of Jesus. By spending time with Jesus, the Son of God made man and entering into colloquy with Him is a sure path to growth in prayer. Try it!

Saint Ignatius of Loyola, in the Spiritual Exercises insists upon us in begging for this grace:“Intimate knowledge of Jesus  that we love Him more ardently and follow Him more closely.”

4. Love for Jesus in His Sufferings

It seems to be a common denominator in many saints—the call to contemplate the love of Jesus through His sorrowful passion—Padre Pio, Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Faustina and Teresa of Avila. For Teresa, she had a mystical experience of Ecce Homo; she saw Jesus with His crowned Head and this moved her to a greater love for Jesus.

5. Holy Spirit: The Divine Teacher in Prayer

On one occasion the saint was really struggling with prayer and she talked to a Jesuit priest for advice on overcoming her struggle. His advice was simple and to the point, but changed her life! The priest insisted on praying to the Holy Spirit. From that point on, following this great advice to rely on the Holy Spirit, Teresa’s prayer life improved markedly.

Saint Paul to the Romans reiterates the same point: “In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.”(Romans 8:26) Let us be led by the best of all teachers, the Interior Master of prayer, the Holy Spirit.

6. Spiritual Direction   

To attain constant growth in the spiritual life, we must have some form of spiritual direction. Spiritual blindness, we all experience.  The devil can disguise or camouflage as an angel of light. And the higher we climb in the spiritual life the more subtle are the tactics and seductions of the devil—“who is searching for us a roaring lion ready to devour us.”(I Peter 5: 8-9)

During the course of her life, Saint Teresa of Avila had recourse to several spiritual directors and some of these are now canonized saints: Saint John of the Cross (Carmelite), Saint Francis Borgia (Jesuit), Saint Peter of Alcantara (Franciscan), and finally, Jerome Gracian—a well-known Dominican scholar and theologian. True, all of us cannot have three canonized saints and a brilliant Dominican theologian to guide us, but we can and must all find some form of periodic spiritual direction.  Saint John of the Cross put it bluntly: “He who as himself as guide has an idiot as a disciple.”  Bingo!

7. Conversion and Reform

A major highlight in the life of Saint Teresa of Avila was the whole concept of conversion or reform. With Saint John of the Cross, she was the primary instrument that God chose to reform the Carmelite Order. However, Teresa was keenly aware of this truth: to convert others we must start with ourselves—this she worked on during the whole course of her life on earth!

Jesus’ first words in preaching were: “Be converted because the Kingdom of God is ate hand.”(Mk.1:15) May we constantly strive for a deeper conversion of heart through the intercession of Saint Teresa of Avila.

8. Spiritual Masterpieces—Her Writings

Without doubt, one of the major contributions to the Church as well as to the world at large are the writings or spiritual masterpieces of Saint Teresa of Avila. One of her basic themes is that of the importance of prayer, and striving to grow deeper and deeper in prayer until one arrives at the Mystical Union of the spouse with Jesus the Heavenly Spouse.

Anybody who takes his or her prayer life seriously should know of Teresa’s writings and spend some time in reading some of her anointed writings. What are her classics? Here they are: “Her life”, “The Way of Perfection”, “The Interior Castle”, “Foundations”. In addition to these texts/books, she also wrote many inspiring letters.  Want to become a saint? Read and drink from the from writings of the saints, especially the Doctors of the Church!

9. The Cross as the Bridge to Heaven  

Jesus said:  “Anyone who wants to be my follower must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” Another common denominator in the lives of the saints is the reality of the cross. Saint Louis de Montfort would bless his friends as such: “May God bless you and give you many small crosses!”

Saint Teresa lived with a constant friend—the cross of Jesus. Her health was always very fragile; she almost died while very young. Furthermore, for Saint Teresa of Avila to carry out the Reform of the Carmelite, she suffered constant attacks and persecutions from many nuns in the convent who preferred a more comfortable lifestyle, from priests (Carmelites) and from other ecclesiastics. Instead of becoming discouraged and losing heart, she joyfully trusted in the Lord all the more—anyway, it was His doing.

10. Our Lady and St. Joseph

During the whole course of her Religious Life, Saint Teresa of Avila loved the Blessed Virgin Mary—as is common in the lives of the saints, and hopefully your life! The title of her specific Marian devotion was Our Lady of Mount Carmel.  Never forget, in your love for Our Lady, to wear the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This is your external sign of consecration to Mary.

Furthermore, Saint Teresa of Avila cultivated a tender and filial love to Saint Joseph. She attributed her recovery from a sickness that almost ended her life to the powerful intercession of Saint Joseph.  Also, every new convent that she established she gave the name of San Jose—Saint Joseph!

In conclusion, may the great woman Doctor of the Church—the Doctor of prayer—Saint Teresa of Avila, be a constant inspiration to you in your own spiritual pilgrimage to heaven. May she encourage you to pray more and with greater depth, arrive at a deeper conversion of heart, and finally love Jesus s the very center and well-spring or your life! 

from todays reading:  2 April 2020
The Jews then said, ‘You are not fifty yet, and you have seen Abraham!’ Jesus replied:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
before Abraham ever was,
I Am.’
At this they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself and left the Temple.

from CNA March 29,2020

The sacramental anointing of the sick is conferred upon those Catholics who are in danger of death.
 
“The first grace of this sacrament is one of strengthening, peace and courage to overcome the difficulties that go with the condition of serious illness or the frailty of old age. This grace is a gift of the Holy Spirit, who renews trust and faith in God and strengthens against the temptations of the evil one, the temptation to discouragement and anguish in the face of death,” according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

“This assistance from the Lord by the power of his Spirit is meant to lead the sick person to healing of the soul, but also of the body if such is God's will. Furthermore, ‘if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven,’” the catechism adds.

The catechism explains that “as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived."
Canon law specifies certain circumstances under which the sacrament is expected to be administered, among them are cases “of doubt whether the sick person has attained the use of reason, is dangerously ill, or is dead,” and when a sick person has “at least implicitly requested it when they were in control of their faculties.”

Following Christ in the Holy Spirit: Discernment of the Holy Spirit

by Fr. Dick Hauser, SJ

Christians are called to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Discipleship begins with the encounter with Christ, when one decides to follow Jesus. Keeping the Ten Commandments comes later, as one encounters Christ and decides to do his will. This is a two-stage process of initial and ongoing conversion, of internal and external assent that may happen simultaneously as we mature as Christians. This maturation leads us to an ever deeper level of discipleship with Christ. The Holy Spirit moves us from an external conformity of actions to an internal response to Christ, to following Christ in the Holy Spirit! "The redemption accomplished by the Son in the dimensions of the earthly history of humanity—accomplished in his 'departure' through the Cross and Resurrection—is at the same time, in its entire salvific power, transmitted to the Holy Spirit: the one who will take what is mine." (Dominum et Vivificantem, no.11) All Christian spirituality flows from responding to the Holy Spirit. Hence, the word "spirituality."

We know that prayer is a gift of the Holy Spirit. It involves dropping external preoccupations and listening and responding to the internal voice of the Holy Spirit rising within our hearts. St. Paul is clear in this when he says, "In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God's will." (Rom 8:26-27)

Discernment of the Holy Spirit is also a gift of the Holy Spirit. Our reflections focus on God's presence through the Holy Spirit, given to us through faith and baptism. Discernment of the Holy Spirit is listening and responding to the voice of the Holy Spirit arising in the midst of daily activities. It is being aware of the internal fluctuations of our hearts and learning to discern those movements that flow from the Holy Spirit from those that do not. The Epistles and the Gospels invite us to be disciples "in the Holy Spirit," the third person of the Blessed Trinity.
 

Discerning the Holy Spirit: St. Paul

St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians is helpful for grasping discernment of the Holy Spirit. As good Jews, the Galatians lived their covenant with God by fidelity to the external law. Faithful Jews conscientiously observed all the 613 precepts of the Torah. St. Paul asserted that in one sense they have become slaves to the external law. Then St. Paul explained that conversion to Christ brings a new freedom. The focus of religious observance has shifted from responding to the external law to responding to the internal law of the Holy Spirit written on their hearts. 

But, St. Paul cautions, not every internal movement of the heart can be trusted. The Galatians must learn to distinguish those interior movements of the heart that flow from the Holy Spirit from those that do not: from those that flow from the flesh. "I say then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want. But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law." (Gal 5:16-18)

St. Paul then lists examples of works of the flesh: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, hatred, rivalry, jealousy, selfishness, dissension, factions, orgies: "I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal 5:21). He also lists examples of works of the Holy Spirit or "fruits": love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. St. Paul concludes simply, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit" (Gal 5:25).
 

Discerning the Holy Spirit: Jesus

Jesus gives concrete guidelines for recognizing and living in the Holy Spirit: the commandments on love. A scholar of the law was testing Jesus and asking about inheriting eternal life. "Jesus said to him, ''What is written in the law? How do you read it?' He said in reply, 'You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.' He replied to him, 'You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.'" (Lk 10:27-28)

Jesus' guidelines for living in the Holy Spirit center on the interior movement of our hearts toward love. Jesus' criteria for recognizing the Holy Spirit is clear: to the degree our hearts are moving by the desire to love and serve God, our neighbor, and ourselves, our hearts are moving in the Holy Spirit; to the degree our hearts are not moving by these desires, our hearts are not moving in the Holy Spirit.

 
And notice that Jesus' criteria relate directly to St. Paul's fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience. The love arising within our hearts becomes the central criteria for discerning the Holy Spirit for Jesus and for St. Paul. This love is normally accompanied by peace and joy.

But after Jesus spoke, the scholar of the law asked, "Who is my neighbor?" And Jesus clarified his response, giving the parable of the Good Samaritan. The commandment to love extends to all human beings: not merely to relatives and friends. The Good Samaritan did not even know the person he stopped to help: indeed, he was considered an untouchable outcasts by the Jews because he was a Samaritan. The priest and the Levite, therefore, ignored the person. Jesus praised the Samaritan. 

Further, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus expands the love commandment to include even enemies. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy,' But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and unjust. . . . So be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Mt 5:43-45, 48)

Jesus invites us to love God, our neighbor, and ourselves with "all your heart, all your being, all your strength, all your mind." Clearly, Jesus wants his followers to love, not merely by external actions, but with an internal quality of heart reflecting God's love: "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt 5:48). For Jesus, discernment of the Holy Spirit focuses primarily on our internal quality of heart. To the degree that we respond to the Holy Spirit, we will be loving and perfect, just like our heavenly Father!
 

Recognizing Obstacles to the Holy Spirit

The key discipline for a Christian following Christ in the Holy Spirit is consciousness of his or her quality of heart. We all experience fluctuations of heart daily. Some of them arise from our propensity to sin. Initial and ongoing conversion in the life of the disciple is critical. In this pursuit, the basic question for conscientious Christians becomes, "In what situations in my day is my heart not moving with the desire to love, and therefore not experiencing the peace of the Holy Spirit?" Just as the experience of peace normally accompanies responding to the Holy Spirit, absence of this peace—anxiety and restlessness—normally accompanies our lack of response. 

It is important to be concrete in naming obstacles to the Holy Spirit. What events or people in my daily schedule do I approach without the desire to love and serve God? Further, what situations habitually disturb me, arising from local or national governments, or even Church administration? And perhaps most importantly, what in my personal or family life causes stress, such as health, finances, employment, relationships? 

When we ignore the situations causing anxiety and restlessness, they will continue to influence our thoughts and actions and we will not be moving with the desire to love and serve God. But when we have concretely named these situations, we can deal with them. With God's grace, we can replace anxiety and restlessness with good desires, and then respond to those good desires. We have been redeemed by Christ and sealed with the Holy Spirit! Grace in us is stronger than sin in us. We can trust the Spirit of Christ to give us the strength we need to live our Christian vocation and follow Christ in the Holy Spirit.

Following Christ in the Holy Spirit implies growing in the awareness of Christ's indwelling in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Conscientious Christians will spend some time each day reviewing their awareness and response to this presence. The review normally includes five moments. 

First, we pray to the Holy Spirit for enlightenment. This examen is a Holy Spirit-guided reflection into the quality of our hearts during the day. Second, we thank God for our blessings by inviting the Holy Spirit to make us more aware of God's presence and blessings in our activities. Often, this is the major part of the examen. Standing back and reflecting on our day, we become aware of God's abiding and peaceful presence. Third, we ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where we have not faithfully responded to God's presence. If some major obstacle was present, this usually rises immediately to the forefront of our consciousness. Fourth, we ask forgiveness for any infidelity. Fifth, we look ahead to the next period and ask for the Spirit's help.

Conclusion

The New Testament presents discernment of the Holy Spirit as central for Christian discipleship, especially for adult Christians. The invitation to recover the Holy Spirit has been a feature of almost every major council of the Church. The Second Vatican Council has given us an invitation to reclaim this traditional dimension of New Testament spirituality. We catechists have to ask ourselves whether we have fully presented this dimension of the Gospel.

Note: Discerning God's Will
The reflection above focused on discernment of the Holy Spirit in daily life and not on discernment of God's will for specific significant decisions. The signs of the Holy Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience—are also key for finding God's will for significant life decisions. Presented with two alternatives for serving God, we can ask God to reveal his will by attaching these experiences to one of the options. If we are truly free from personal inordinate attachments and open to God's will, the perdurance of the fruits of the Spirit in one alternative may be the sign of God's personal will for us.


Note: St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)
St. Ignatius is the founder of the Society of Jesus (1540) and the author of a thirty-day retreat manual called, The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius (1548). This manual contains guidelines called "Rules for the Discernment of Spirits." His guidelines are a major contribution to Christian mysticism. My reflections are an attempt to put his text into New Testament language.

 

Copyright © 2016, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to duplicate this work without adaptation for non-commercial use.

Scripture excerpts used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, rev. ed.© 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Excerpts from Pope John Paul II, Dominum et Vivicantem, copyright © 1986, Libreria Editrice Vaticana; Used with permission. All rights reserved.

That’s not just a scriptural reality: “Pray constantly” (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Christian Standard Bible); “from the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised” (Psalm 113:3; New American Standard Bible). It’s also a civic reality in the United States. President Donald Trump declared Sunday, March 15, a national day of prayer, quoting the Scriptures: “Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7; King James Version); and “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37).