ST. TERESA OF AVILA

INTRODUCTION

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Teresa of Avila – who died this day, October 15, 1582. She was 67 years of age.

For a reflection for today I simply gathered 10 quotes from St. Teresa of Avila – a doctor of the church. If other years I told about her image about spiritual growth as four ways of getting water – the first way being that of using a bucket to draw water from a well – to the fourth being caught in a down pour. She also gave the great image of the spiritual life as entering a castle – moving from room to room till one gets to the center where the King of Glory is.

HERE ARE TEN QUOTES

First Quote: “More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones.” St. Teresa of Avila. Wasn't there a song by Garth Brooks called, "Unanswered Prayers" - a song that developed this theme? A man goes to a hometown football game and he meets his old high school flame - the girl he prayed to God would be his wife for life - and in the experience of meeting her once again he realizes she wasn't quite the angel of his dreams. He also realizes how blessed he is to have married the woman he married. And the song ends with the refrain, "Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers."

Second Quote: “Never do anything that you can’t do in the presence of all.” St. Teresa. That is basically what Jesus is saying in today’s gospel.

Third Quote: We’ve all heard this quote from St. Teresa of Avia or seen it on plaques or holy cards:
“Let nothing disturb you;
Let nothing dismay you;
All thing pass;
God never changes.
Patience attains
All that it strives for.
He who has God
Finds he lacks nothing:
God alone is sufficient.”

Fourth Quote: “It is true that we cannot be free from sin, but at least let our sins not be always the same.” St. Teresa. How’s that for having a sense of humor. How many times do priests here in confession, “Sorry Father, this is the same old same old.”

Fifth Quote: Continuing on the theme of sin, St. Teresa wrote, “It is right here, my daughters, that love is to be found. It’s not hidden away in corners, but it can be found in the midst of occasions of sin. And believe me, although we may more often fail and commit small lapses, our gain will be in comparison the greater.”

Sixth Quote: Not only can we grow in love of God and neighbor when struggling with sin choices, we can also learn other things. She writes, “To reach something good it is very useful to have gone astray, and thus acquire experience.

Seventh Quote: Many like to tell the story what she said to God when she fell off her house while crossing a river. Complaining to God she hears God answering back “This is how I treat my friends.” “Well, then,” she answers back to God, “if this is the way you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few of them!”

Eight Quote: I love this quote from St. Teresa – a quote I’ve often heard. If she was like this, she’s my kind of saint. “From silly devotions and from sour-faced saints, good Lord, deliver us.”

Ninth Quote: I’m sure you heard this quote. I’ve heard it in various ways – not sure who the author was. It was Teresa, unless she stole it from someone: "Christ has no body now, but yours.No hands, no feet on earth, but yours.Yours are the eyes through whichChrist looks compassion into the world.Yours are the feetwith which Christ walks to do good.Yours are the handswith which Christ blesses the world."

Tenth and Last Quote: This is for the ladies here: “About the injunction of the Apostle Paul that women should keep quiet in church, she said, “Don’t go by one text only.”



Painting on top: St. Teresa of Avila by Peter Paul Rubens [1577-1640]