St. Teresa of Avila - Woman of Faith & Perseverance - Doctor of the Church

Today we celebrate the feast of the great Carmelite mystic, St. Teresa of Avila. A while back I was complaining about having such a rough day, a friend told me a great story about Teresa.

One day, Teresa was having an important meeting with her Bishop. As she prepared herself for the meeting, she put on her best habit. On her way to the meeting, she was caught in a powerful rain storm. After much thunder and lightning, the horse became frightened and caused her carriage to tip over. Teresa landed in a muddy pool of water. She immediately looked up to heaven and said, "Lord, why do you love me so much?"

Teresa was born in Avila, Spain in 1515. She entered the Carmelite order and despite much opposition, made great progress in instituting reforms. She wrote many books on sublime doctrine which resulted from the fruit of her own sense of spirituality and prayer life

The gift of God to Teresa in and through which she became holy and left her mark on the Church and the world is threefold: She was a woman; she was a contemplative; she was an active reformer.

Beautiful, talented, outgoing, adaptable, affectionate, courageous, enthusiastic, she was totally human. Like Jesus, she was a mystery of paradoxes: wise, yet practical; intelligent, yet much in tune with her experience; a mystic, yet an energetic reformer. A holy woman, a womanly woman.

Teresa was a woman "for God," a woman of prayer, discipline and compassion. Her heart belonged to God. Her own conversion was no overnight affair; it was an arduous lifelong struggle, involving ongoing purification and suffering. She was misunderstood, misjudged, opposed in her efforts at reform. Yet she struggled on, courageous and faithful; she struggled with her own mediocrity, her illness, her opposition. And in the midst of all this she clung to God in life and in prayer. Her writings on prayer and contemplation are drawn from her experience: powerful, practical and graceful. A woman of prayer; a woman for God.

Teresa was a woman "for others." Though a contemplative, she spent much of her time and energy seeking to reform herself and the Carmelites, to lead them back to the full observance of the primitive Rule. (taken from American Catholic)

Teresa is a wonderful example of how if one has faith and perseverance, they can do great things for Christ.