Homily St. Theresa of Avilla (2020) “A Person to Be Reckoned With”
Homily St. Theresa of Avilla (2020) “A Person to Be Reckoned With”
St. Theresa of Jesus or Theresa of Avilla was born into a noble family in Spain. She entered a Carmelite convent in 1536. Many convents at that time were very lax. They were also well endowed. The women who lived in them did not want for much.
St. Theresa’s life fell into two phases. In the first years of her life she was wracked with guilt. She was sickly and weak. But at a certain point she resolved that she was going to begin a reformed convent. Thresa went back to a strict reading of the Carmelite rule. Her sisters lived in poverty and lived a structured prayer life in a community setting.
Theresa had mystical experiences. In one case she had a vision of an angel that pierced her heart with an arrow. She felt, at that moment, the intense love that God had for her. The experience is depicted in a sculpture by Bernini called “Theresa in Ecstasy”. I was able to view this striking work when I visited Rome.
In the second half of her life Theresa was strong and vibrant. She founded many convents. Other members of her order were intensely critical of her. But she was able to shake the criticism off and believe in the course that she had set.
She made a friend in St. John of the Cross who began a reform of the male Carmelites. He too was intensely criticized by his confreres. At one point they even kidnapped him and locked him up for several months.
St. Thresa was a woman who had an intense sense of the love of God. She was not afraid to move with the Spirit. She was exhibited the Spiritual gift of courage.
Reflection Questions:
- Have I ever had a prayer experience that set me on a new course in my life? What was it? How do I feel about it today?
- Do I have courage to move with the Spirit? What holds me back?
Dear Parishioners,
St. Theresa of Avila was quite a woman. She was not afraid to strike out in new directions. St. Thresa almost single handedly reformed her religious order. She saw that her sisters were not being faithful to their vocation.
St. Theresa endured a lot of scorn from her sisters. They did not want to change. It is difficult to change. But if we are truly open to the Spirit, we must be ready to go where the Spirit leads.
We are not living our lives today the way we were a year ago. This can be viewed as a sad thing or an opportunity. Hopefully, we are not afraid to make some adjustments in the lives we lead so that we can grow closer to Christ.
Blessings,
Fr. Mark