Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582) was a church reformer and author of spiritual classics. Her writings about prayer have influenced generations of Christians.
This year is the 500th anniversary of her birth. On Oct. 15, known as Feast Day of St. Teresa of Ávila in the Catholic Church, worldwide events will celebrate her life and teachings.
Teresa Sanchez Cepeda Davila y Ahumada was born March 28, 1515, in Ávila, Spain. Her parents were pious Catholics. When she was 14 years old, her mother died and Teresa was sent to the Augustinian nuns at Ávila for her education. She joined the Carmelite Convent of the Incarnation in 1535.
Two years later she contracted malaria. After having a seizure, she fell asleep and awoke four days later to learn a grave had been dug for her. She was paralyzed for three years, during which time she developed a practice of “mental prayer” consisting of meditation and contemplation.
“Mental prayer means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us. The important thing is not to think much but to love much,” she said.
Teresa was a Christian mystic, a person who seeks closeness to God through contemplation and surrender. Not only Catholics but many Protestants believe in Christian mysticism. A.W. Tozer, American pastor and prolific author, explained a mystic as “a believer who practices the presence of God.” C.S. Lewis believed a Christian mystic has “a direct experience with God.”
Teresa dealt with her personal experiences with an insight that enabled her to explain clearly her mystical theology. Her writings on the soul’s progress toward God are recognized masterpieces. “The Interior Castle,” her most famous work, describes the soul as divided into seven mansions, or dwelling places, with each level a step closer to God.
Teresa not only led a contemplative life, but she used her organizational skills to reform the Spanish Catholic Church. While the Reformation was transforming other parts of Europe, Teresa founded the Discalced Carmelites, a reformed order that emphasized austerity. In 1562 with the authorization of Pope Pius IV she opened her first convent. She founded numerous other convents and worked with fellow mystic St. John of the Cross to start many reformed monasteries.
From 1567 until her death, Teresa made exhausting journeys on mules and in ox carts all over Spain, visiting convents and monasteries.
She died on one of her journeys on Oct. 4, 1582, at Alba de Tormes, Spain. Pope Gregory XV canonized her a saint in 1622. In 1970, Pope Paul VI made her a Doctor of the Church, the first of four women to have that honor. The title means that the writings and preachings of such a person are useful to Christians in any age of the Church.
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