15th October, St Teresa of Avila, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

St Teresa of Avila, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

St Teresa was born at Avila in Spain. At the age of 18, she entered the local convent of Mount Carmel and through many difficulties, she succeeded in reforming it: afterwards she reformed with the help of St John of the Cross, most of the convents of the Carmelite Order, and founded many new ones. Her heart was miraculously inflamed with divine love. She made the difficult vow of always doing what she judged most perfect.

She attained the highest degree of mystical life. Her writings earned for her from Pope Gregory and Urban VII the title of Doctor of the Church, which until recently was given to no other woman. She died of divine love in 1582 during the night of the 4th to 15th October. (NB. That isn't a typo - in that year the 5th to 14th of October did not exist, having been suppressed by Pope Gregory XIII in order to reform the calendar).

Dilexisti justitiam, et odisti iniquitatem: propterea unxit te Deus, Deus tuus, oleo laetitiae prae consortibus tuis. Eructavit cor meum verbum bonum: dico ego opera mea Regi.

Thou hast loved justice and hated iniquity: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. My heart hath uttered a good word: I speak my works to the king.

(Psalm 44:8 and 44:2, from the Introit of Mass).



Exaudi nos, Deus, salutaris noster: ut, sicut de beatae Teresiae Virginis tuae festivitate gaudemus; ita coelestis ejus doctrínae pabulo nutriamur, et piae devotionis erudiamur affectu.
Graciously hear us, O God our Saviour; that as we rejoice in the festival of Thy holy Virgin Teresa, so we may be fed with the food of her heavenly teaching and grow in loving devotion towards Thee.
(Collect)



Veni, Sponsa Christi, * accipe coronam, quam tibi Dominus praeparavit in aeternum.
Come, thou bride of Christ, * receive the crown which the Lord hath prepared for thee for ever.
(Magnificat antiphon from 1st Vespers)

"Remember that you have only one soul; that you have only one death to die; that you have only one life, which is short and has to be lived by you alone; and there is only one Glory, which is eternal. If you do this, there will be many things about which you care nothing." St Teresa of Avila.

O Saint Teresa, seraphic Virgin, beloved spouse of thy crucified Lord, thou who on earth didst burn with a love so intense toward thy God and my God, and now dost glow with a brighter and purer flame in paradise: obtain for me also, I beseech thee, a spark of that same holy fire which shall cause me to forget the world, all things created, and even myself; for thou didst ever avidly desire to see Him loved by all men. Grant that my every thought and desire and affection may be continually directed to doing the will of God, the supreme Good, whether I am in joy or in pain, for He is worthy to be loved and obeyed forever. Obtain for me this grace, thou who art so powerful with God; may I be all on fire, like thee, with the holy love of God. Amen.

(S. Alphonsus M. de' Liguori. An indulgence of 300 days. A plenary indulgence on the usual conditions, if this prayer is said devoutly every day for a month.)

From the Catholic Encyclopaedia: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14515b.htm