Readings

October 15: Teresa of Avila, Mystic and Monastic Reformer, 1582

The Collect of the Day

Teresa of Avila

O God, who by your Holy Spirit moved Teresa of Avila to manifest to your church the way of perfection: Grant us, we pray, to be nourished by her teaching, and enkindle within us a keen and unquenchable longing for true holiness; through Jesus Christ, the joy of loving hearts, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Teresa of Avila

O God, who by the Holy Ghost didst move Teresa of Avila to manifest to thy church the way of perfection: Grant us, we beseech thee, to be nourished by her teaching, and enkindle within us a lively and unquenchable longing for true holiness; through Jesus Christ, the joy of loving hearts, who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Teresa was born in Spain, near Avila. Even in her childhood, she took much pleasure in the study of saints’ lives, and she used to delight in spending times of contemplation, repeating over and over, “For ever, for ever, for ever, for ever, they shall see God.”

In her autobiography, Teresa tells that following her mother’s death, she became quite worldly. To offset this, her father placed her in an Augustinian convent to be educated, but serious illness ended her studies. During convalescence, she determined to enter the religious life and, though opposed by her father, she became a postulant at a Carmelite convent. Again, illness forced her to return home, but after three years, she returned to the convent.

Her prayer life during this period was difficult. She wrote: “I don’t know what heavy penance could have come to mind that I would not have gladly and frequently undertaken rather than recollect myself in the practice of prayer.” This early difficult experience would shape her later writings on prayer, in which she insisted that the spiritual life cannot be grounded in feelings and consolations.

In time, frustrated by the laxity of life in her community, Teresa set out to establish a reformed Carmelite order of “discalced” religious, who wore sandals or went barefoot. Despite many setbacks, she traveled for 25 years throughout Spain. Energetic, practical, and efficient, as well as being a mystic and ascetic, she established 17 convents of Reformed Carmelites. Even imprisonment did not deter her. Her younger contemporary John of the Cross became a close personal and spiritual friend.

Her sisters urged her to write down some of her teachings on prayer for them, which is how we came to have her works The Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection. Many people at the time felt that mental prayer (as opposed to reciting the vocal prayer of the liturgy) was too difficult and too dangerous for women, but Teresa insisted that “Mental prayer is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends. It means taking time frequently to be alone with him whom we know loves us.”

Despite the demands of her administrative and missionary work, Teresa found time to write the numerous letters that give us rare insights into her personality and concerns. Her extensive correspondence often kept her awake at night until 3:00 in the morning, after which she would awaken at 5:00 for morning prayer with the community. Teresa found writing to be burdensome, and often protested that she would be much happier spinning or working in the kitchen. Once she sat down to write, however, she was eloquent and efficient. Her great work The Interior Castle was written in less than two months.

Her death in 1582, following two years of illness, was peaceful. Her last sight was of the Sacrament, brought for her comfort; her last words, “O my Lord! Now is the time that we may see each other.”

Lessons and Psalm

First Lesson

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Psalm

1As the deer longs for the water-brooks, *so longs my soul for you, O God.

2My soul is athirst for God, athirst for the living God; *when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?

3My tears have been my food day and night, *while all day long they say to me, “Where now is your God?”

4I pour out my soul when I think on these things; *how I went with the multitude and led them into the house of God,

5With the voice of praise and thanksgiving, *among those who keep holy-day.

6Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? *and why are you so disquieted within me?

7Put your trust in God; *for I will yet give thanks to him, who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

Gospel

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Mark 1:35–39

35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37 When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” 38 He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” 39 And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

1 Samuel 3:1–18

1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. 2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; 3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called, “Samuel! Samuel!” and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. 6 The Lord called again, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever.” 15 Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” He said, “Here I am.” 17 Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, “It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.”