Saturday Saint Stories: St. Teresa of Avila

Teresa was born in 1515 in Avila, Spain.  She was raised in a Christian home, surrounded by the stories of the saints. When she was 7 she tried to run away with her brother Rodrigo to go to the Holy Land and become martyrs. Luckily she was stopped by her uncle on their way out of town and returned home. 

When she entered the convent she was disappointed by the lax attitude and lifestyle of the Carmelites, so set about a life-time of reform of the rule.

Mental prayer...is nothing  else than an intimate sharing between friends.  The important thing is not to think much but to love much.

She was a prolific writer & mystic.  Her book, The Interior Castle, is a wonderful read on contemplative prayer, inspired by her vision of the soul as a diamond in the shape of a castle containing seven mansions, which she interpreted as the journey of faith through seven stages, ending with union with God. She was named the first female ‘Doctor of the Church’ due to the timeless & authoritative understanding of the inner life of prayer.

Teresa is considered one of the foremost experts on the interior (contemplative) life. “One does not undertake contemplative prayer only when one has time: one makes time for the Lord, with the firm determination not to give up, no matter what trials and dryness one may encounter.”    

Despite frail health and great difficulties, Teresa spent the rest of her life establishing and nurturing 17 convents throughout Spain. She grew up in the early years of the Protestant Reformation and survived scrutiny from the Spanish Inquisition.

When she was 52 she received a new confessor, a 23 year old Jesuit priest. Despite large differences in their personalities, the two developed a deep friendship. Her confessor was St. John of the Cross! 


Let nothing disturb you.       
Let nothing make you afraid.        
All things are passing.                              
God alone never changes. Patience gains all things. If you have God you will want for nothing. God alone suffices. 
                 ~found written  in Teresa’s Breviary


Additional Resources: ( 2 videos about St. Teresa of Avila)