St. Teresa of Avila

St. Teresa of Avila also called St.Teresa of Jesus was born atAvila, in Spain on March 28th 1515 in a very noble family, in thefamilyofknights.Shewasthebelovedchildofherfather. By her charming smile and sweetnature, she became the favourite of all. She was very gentle and compassionatein her dealing with others. Even at a very young age, she had an ardent desireto love God and to die for the sake ofGod.

As shegrew up as a teenager in the boarding school of Augustinian nuns, God gave her adeep inspiration to follow him in religious life. Overcoming all the objectionsfrom her family members and friends, she entered the Carmel convent in 1536. St.Teresa had a determined determination to please the good lord in whatever shedid whether in personal prayer, meditation or caring the sick, she alwayssought the will of God.

St. Teresaof Avila is famous for her teaching and writing. Her main writings areAutobiography, Way of Perfection, Interior Castle etc. we remember Teresa of Avilaas a woman of iron with determined determination to do God’s will.

With herdaringness and profound spirit of true love, St. Teresa established 17 conventsand 15 monasteries within just 21 years. She was truly a person of prayer. Hermotto was “To Suffer or to Die.” This boosted her to take up every challenge inlife. God was well pleased with her and called her to his eternal peace in theyear of 1582. In 1622, forty years after her death, she was canonized and on27th September 1970 she was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI.

Saint Teresais among the most important figures of all time for catholic spirituality. Herworks especially the four best known books and her letters show her occupiedwith a great variety of everyday problems. Her doctrine on the unity of the soulwith God follows Carmelite tradition which had preceded her and to which sheherself contributed in a notable way, enriching is as well as passing thetradition on, not only to her spiritual Sons and Daughters but also to thewhole church which she secured so unsparingly When she was dying, her one joy wasto be able to firm that “I die as a daughter of church.”