Feast Day: October 15
(In the Traditional Roman Calendar: Commemoration on October 15)
Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church, was born in the year of Our Lord 1515, in the city of Ávila, Spain, to noble and devout parents, who nurtured her from childhood in the ways of piety and the holy fear of God. From her earliest years, she showed a fervent desire for holiness and a singular love for the Lord.
In her youth, she entered the Carmelite convent, where she began a life wholly devoted to mental prayer, interior recollection, and the pursuit of perfection. Dissatisfied with the laxity that had crept into religious life, she was inspired by God to restore the ancient fervor of the Carmelite Rule. This she began with the foundation of the convent of St. Joseph in Ávila, under great hardship and spiritual trial.
Undaunted by opposition and much suffering, she established numerous convents throughout Spain, forming what came to be known as the Discalced Carmelites, devoted to strict observance, silence, enclosure, and continual prayer. Together with St. John of the Cross, she also reformed the male branch of the Carmelite Order.
God enriched her soul with extraordinary mystical graces: ecstasies, visions, raptures, and spiritual espousals with Christ. Her writings — especially the Book of Her Life, The Interior Castle, and The Way of Perfection — shine as masterpieces of mystical and ascetical theology, written not from human speculation, but from divine experience. These works have guided countless souls on the path to perfection and continue to illumine the Church with heavenly wisdom.
After a life of intense labor, prayer, and suffering, she gave her soul to God on the 4th of October (Gregorian calendar: October 15), 1582. Pope Gregory XV canonized her in 1622, and Pope Benedict XIII declared her Patroness of Spain. In 1970, Pope Paul VI named her Doctor of the Church, the first woman to be so honored.
Notable Virtues
- Spirit of Prayer: St. Teresa was a master of contemplative prayer, teaching the necessity of silence, recollection, and union with God through interior recollection.
- Zeal for Reform: Despite intense opposition, she restored the primitive observance of the Carmelite Rule with heroic courage and trust in divine providence.
- Mystical Wisdom: Through her deep union with God, she was given sublime insight into the spiritual life, revealing the soul’s ascent to God through the “Interior Castle.”
An Example for the Faithful
Saint Teresa teaches us to persevere in prayer, to long for intimate union with Christ, and to carry the cross with joy. She shows that even amid trials, the soul can attain great sanctity by trusting wholly in God’s love.
Prayer to Saint Teresa of Jesus
O God, Who didst raise up Thy holy Virgin Teresa by Thy Spirit to restore the beauty of religious life in Thy Church, grant us, we beseech Thee, through her intercession and example, to be ever enkindled with love of Thy divine majesty, and to walk faithfully in the way of Thy commandments, that we may one day behold Thee face to face in the glory of Heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.