Saint Teresa of Avila was born in Spain in 1515. Her enduring legacy as a Christian reformer, spiritual guide and mystic cannot be overstated. She died in Avila in 1582. Pope Saint Paul VI declared her a Doctor of the Church in 1970.
For Teresa, we pray in order that we may encounter the living Christ who is waiting for us. On our part, prayer requires effort and persistence. She shares her own struggles: “For many years I kept wishing the time would be over. I had more in mind the clock striking twelve than other good things. Often I would have preferred some serious penance to becoming recollected in prayer.”
She beautifully explains the essence of Christian prayer: to pursue more the Lord of Consolation, than the consolation of the Lord.
Saint Teresa of Avila, pray for us!
