ST. TERESA OF AVILA
Teresa of Avila, also known as Teresa of Jesus, was a remarkable woman of her time. She was practical and no-nonsense kind of woman. She worked at reforming the Carmelites with St. John of the Cross. Her spirituality is profound and calls us to a deep relationship with God that is real.
“The important thing is not to think much, but to love much;
and so do that which best stirs you to love.”
-St. Teresa of Avila
“Teresa was a joyful and intelligent person. At recreation she played the flute. She met with kings and popes. She wrote books to help others to pray and to know and love God better. In 1970 she became the first woman the Church declared a Doctor of the Church. Jesus Christ won Teresa’s heart. She loved him forever.” (All the Saints of the Roman Calendar and More by Sister Mary Kathleen Glavich, SND and other Sisters of Notre Dame, Chardon, Card 144)
Let us take time to reflect on this prayer attributed to her:
Christ has no body now but yours.
No hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world.
Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good.
Yours are the hands with which He blesses all the world.
Amen.
Pat Carter, CSJ is a disciple, a teacher and an advocate for the poor. She has been a Sister of St. Joseph for more than half of her life and loves to use words to inspire faith and laughter. She is a cantor at her parish of St. Jerome’s in Sault Ste. Marie.
