Homily: Feast of St. Theresa of Avila

Feast of St. Theresa of Avila (Lk. 11:29-32) “A Strong Woman”

Jesus was a reformer. He saw the flaws in the Jewish faith, and he wanted it to be a holier religion. He called for greater adherence to the law of love. He thought mercy should be the primary virtue of religion.

There have been great reforms in the history of the church. Usually, the people who have called for reform have not won popularity contests. Pope Francis has maintained that the church should be constantly reforming itself. Some people do not see him positively.

We remember that several of the religious orders have undergone reformation. We could think of St. Bernard of Clairvaux who belonged to the Benedictine Order. He felt like the Benedictines were lax in keeping the rule of Benedict. His reforms split his order in two parts, so we have the Trappist and the Benedictine order today. This split was a traumatic event, but it led to a stronger religious life in the church.

St. Theresa of Avila who lived in the 16th Century reformed the Carmelite order. We could say there were two halves of her life. The first half of the life she was a sickly and compliant Carmelite sister, but she always felt something was wrong. Her convent was like a dormitory where single woman lived from wealthy families. If a woman did not want to marry or did not have any luck finding a spouse, they could become a sister. Obviously, all this led to a lax atmosphere.

St. Theresa began a reform of the order. The last half of her life she called women together who wanted to live out the original charism of her order. Strict silence was kept in the cloister. The sisters engaged in contemplative prayer and a penitential life.

St. Thresa was a charismatic leader who founded numerous convents in Europe. She was attacked by her enemies in the church, but she stood firm in her beliefs. She is now known as a Doctor of the Church for her leadership and writing.

Reflection:

1.    Do I think of Jesus as a reformer? Why or why not?

2.   Are people who call for change necessary? How should they do this?

 Dear Parishioners,

             Seton Catholic School will be having its fall fund raiser starting this Saturday night at 6:30. There will be food and raffles and a dodge ball tournament. You can purchase tickets online at www.setonschool.com.

            This fundraiser is very important as we finance our school. Keep in mind there is a $10,000 raffle. Tickets are $50 each or three for $125. Come join in the fun on Saturday.

            May Our Lady of Peace pray for us,

            Fr. Mark