SECULAR ORDER
DISCALCED CARMELITES
Mary Queen of Carmel Community
Clearwater, Florida |
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| St. Teresa of Jesus, also known as St. Teresa
of Avila, lived in Spain during the 16th Century. Her life as a Carmelite,
though far removed from the mainstream of modern culture, still speaks
powerfully to us today, as we enter the third millennium. Teresa entered the Carmelite Monastery in 1535, at the age of 20. After years of struggling with her prayer life, Teresa felt that she was still living in shadow rather than in God's light. Repeatedly, she asked God to help her, seemingly to no avail. It was not until 1554 that she experienced the conversion that would mark the rest of her life. Coming upon a statue of the wounded Christ, Teresa was suddenly and intensely moved by what Christ had suffered for her and she was overwhelmed by her own lack of gratitude for His sufferings. In tears, she begged the Lord to strengthen her, that she might not sin any more; she resolved not to leave until this prayer was granted. From then on, Teresa felt that she began to improve. Although Teresa's conversion did not transform her instantly, it did set her on a whole new pathway that led her to an intimate experience of God, a God she came to perceive as a beloved Friend. In visions and locutions, God poured out His love on His daughter, who had become a willing and open receptacle. Neither her heart nor her actions could stand against this grace, as she surrendered totally to her Lord and King. The special gifts she received were often misunderstood, inciting jealousy and suspicion, and Teresa suffered much because of accusations directed at her. At times she would try to suppress the ecstasies that accompanied God's intimate presence, even wondering herself if they had come from God. But God would not be thwarted, not even by His Teresa; He continued to lead her into the innermost dwellings of her heart, where she would behold the awesome beauty of her King. With God so close to her, not only was Teresa able to change her own ways, but she also came to realize that God wanted her to begin reforming the Carmelites. Convinced that God was with her, she set about reforming the Carmelite order, founding new houses, with a renewed spirit of detachment, charity, and obedience. Fortunately, Teresa's superiors ordered her to document the remarkable events of her life and her original works exist today: The Book of Her Life, The Interior Castle, and The Way of Perfection are her main works. It is through these profoundly human yet mystical writings that we may experience the spirit of Teresa, and enter into her remarkable path to God. Teresa died in 1582, at the age of 67. In 1622 she was canonized, and in 1970, Pope Paul VI declared her a Doctor of the Church, the first woman ever to be so recognized |
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